Mutations and Magic II- Fiends and Felines
by Ela
Summary: I just can't help it. :) Anyway, while Mir and Mara are making Halloween party plans, Kitty has the flu, and Katherine disappears! (*gasp* Oh no!) And who is this new girl, exactly? Could she play a crutial role in a new plan by Mystique, or possibly som
1. Mutations and Magic II- Fiends and Felin...

Disclaimers: I don't own X-Men: Evolution! Not even Xanth. You people should know that by now. I do own all the original characters in here. (*compares last Dislcaimers Note to this one and starts laughing insanely.*)  
  
Author's Note: It IS recommended that you read my other fic first! Otherwise this will make no sense AT all! I'm not explaining what they look like, how they got there, etc. And I swear, if I stole ANYTHING, I'm sorry! And I did NOT steal the idea that Kitty got sick. I know there have been ALOT of fics where one person or another got sick, especially where they couldn't control their powers, and I tell you, I thought this up! See, it all started where I watched that one episode of Bewitched... So please don't yell at me!  
Dedicated to D.A,- I luv you Moongloom! Thank you for your constant patience and for dealing with my annoying questions! Here you are, Katherine, your character!   
  
Chapter One: "Never pick up a stray kitten... unless you've already made up your mind to be owned by it."  
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*Sender: XShadowKittyX (Kitty Pryde)  
Recipient: LionPryde (Mom and Dad)  
Subject: Hi Mom! Hi Dad!  
Date: 4:30:15 PM Eastern Time, Wednesday, October 27  
Contents:  
Dear Mom and Dad,  
Happy Halloween! I know, I know, it isn't Halloween yet, but the Institute is being decorated as I'm typing this, and already it's looking totally spooky. Kurt still won't tell me why he's giving me a present... Don't worry, he's been treating me just fine. I'm totally happy. I guess it's only fair, 'cause I'm getting him something too. It's not necessarily a "Halloween" present, but oh well. Shh... I'm getting him the coolest present, even though it came from a cow or whatever. It's a brand name genuine brown leather wallet, with that gold chain thing, so he won't lose it; it can attach to his pocket or something like that. I put a picture of me inside, so he can always keep me with him. Corny, yet cute. But, it's about time he used one instead of stuffing everything in his jeans, and then forgetting to take it all out, so then it creates chaos with the washing machine and dryer...   
Speaking of Jean, she and Scott are already making college plans for next year. They're going to live in a nearby apartment. It looks really cute! I can't wait till the day he proposes to her. Cause, you know, they are so totally going to get married, it is so obvious. The wedding is bound to be totally awesome! Evan, meanwhile, broke his arm while skateboarding. It's about time he totally slipped up. Ororo was about to kill him. Professor X is still trying to fix Evan's skateboard... it totally busted in the crash. And Mr. Logan is all pissed off because now Evan can't participate in his training- meanwhile, we're all jealous. Mr. Logan says, though, that he will find a way to get around it... Uh oh.  
Rogue still says that I took her silver bracelet again- and I totally lent it to Mir last week! She won't believe me... Remind me to ask Mir for it whenever I see them next, since she and Mara just left. And without saying good-bye, too!  
Speaking of the sisters- It's amazing how they can totally keep up with their life! They have homework for school, AND the classes their mom gives them, AND they still have sessions with the Prof! They have so much work, I would SO die if I were them. They're so busy, yet they say they love it! Oh, and they're throwing a Halloween party on Sunday, since they can't go to their homeland or whatever to celebrate. I dunno why not. Oh well, it's gonna be such a cool party! I hope I can go!  
Katherine just recently got a scratch down her back from climbing a tree. It looks so horrible! It was deep and long, from the back of her neck to the base of her tail. It was bleeding so much, my poor baby! Jean put some salve on it and a whole bunch of bandages, and, if Jean treated it, it should heal just fine. If not, I could just sneak her to Mir and ask her to heal her for me. Katherine is making fast friends with Minuit, Ms. Meos's famliar. You know Ms. Meos; Mir and Mara's mom? Yeah, her. The witch. Professor X's secretary that he hired last year. She just recently started coming more often... an excuse for Mir and Mara to come too. Anyway, when the girls come to train, they bring Min with them- Min is somehow becoming their familiar instead. She hangs around with the girls all the time, AND Katherine. Min still belongs to Meos, but she has Tobias as well. The hawk. Yeah, he's really cool. But I like Min better, and apparently, so does Katherine.  
As for the update on me... I'm totally bedridden! Being sick is SO not fun! I have a terrible cough. I used up half the tissues in this section of the Institute alone, and every time I sneeze, I TOTALLY phaze through my bed! It gets so annoying. Rogue is sleeping in an unoccupied room while I'm sick. I don't want anyone else getting the flu too.   
The others said I had a high fever yesterday and the day before. I don't remember... I was so totally dizzy and out of it. I could barely stand up, and I didn't have an appetite or anything. I was so happy when the fever broke. Now I'm feeling kinda better, even though I missed the last few days of school before the weekend. I might even miss Mir and Mara's party! I'm totally going to go crazy in here! The Prof totally agreed that the party would take place here, but still... Anyway, tomorrow is an early release day, and the next day is a teacher planning day. And of course the weekend is after that- Halloween IS on Sunday- so I guess I'm not missing much school this week. If I'm better by Sunday for the party, then I guess I'd better hit the books on Monday!  
Anyway, I'll type to ya soon with more updates! Love ya!  
Your daughter,  
Kitty  
PS: I got an 'A' on my science project! Evan brought it home for me. Thank God he didn't have his skateboard- otherwise, it totally would've gotten all banged up on the way home.*  
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"Ah.... Ah... aCHOOO!" Kitty sneezed, nearly phazing through her bed in the process. She sniffed once and coughed till her throat was sore. "Ugh... I totally hate being sick," she complained, clutching the layers of thick blankets around her. Katherine carefully climbed around on the bed, purring as she rubbed her head against Kitty's leg. Outside, autumn leaves littered the ground, changing the dull sidewalk and bleak concrete to a wonderful quilt of gold, brown, and auburn.  
"I bet no one does." Rogue handed her friend a glass of orange juice. "Here, drink this."  
"Yes, mother." Kitty sighed and did as told. "What a bummer... This totally bites! I can't go to Mir and Mara's party now!" She popped a cough drop into her mouth and grimaced. "Eeew. I, like, totally hate grape."   
"Ya neva know... maybe you'll be better by then. And you're insane to hate grapes."  
"Doubt it." Kitty coughed again. Katherine shifted and jumped from one side to the other. "And grapes are so totally icksome."  
"Are not!"  
"Are too!"  
"Are not!"  
"Are totally too!" Kitty tried to calmly clear her throat, to no avail.   
"Is everyzing okay?" Kurt BAMFed into the room, forgetting to knock first. "Katzchen! Are you feeling better..." Kurt looked around, at the wadded up tissues, the overflowing basket, the cup of orange juice, the layers of blankets, the cough drops, etc. "Ehh... nevermind."  
Kitty rolled her eyes and sneezed again, nearly phazing through her bed once more. Katherine snuggled up against Kurt's side. "Argh! This is, like, totally gonna happen EVERY time! I absolutely HATE staying in bed... it's, like, totally gonna drive me crazy!"  
Kurt tried hard to smother his laughter.   
"What?" Kitty glared.  
"You look so funny, halfvay disappearing through ze bed every time you sneeze."  
"Ha ha. Very funny."  
"But it is!"  
"You try it!"  
"No thanks... Anyvay, Kitty, Mir and Mara said zat zey vere sorry zey couldn't come visit you today- an 'emergency' came up. I zink zey just blew up zeir kitchen in my opinion..."  
"What?" Rogue asked.  
"Zey called before, reminding me to say hello to Kitty for zem, and on ze phone, I heard an explosion, and I could make out Meos asking Mir to get a fire extinguisher for ze oven..."  
"Oh great."  
"I'd hate to taste their cookin'!"  
"... Zey have a fire extinguisher in zeir house?"  
Kitty sighed. "It's gotta be, like, better than being sick, that's for sure!" Kitty coughed again. "Ugh... this is so, like, icksome!" Katherine pawed Kitty's hand playfully.  
"Oh, and zey said zat zey hope you feel better in time for ze party!"  
Kitty groaned. "I wanna go!" she whined. "I hate colds..." she complained. "You'd totally better ditch this joint, if you don't, like, want to catch it. Hey, Katherine!" Katherine climbed across Kitty's chest slowly. "Oh man, Rogue, take her! I don't want her getting sick too! And careful of her scratch!"  
"Cats can catch human flus?" Kurt asked, amazed.  
"Sometimes. Besides, don't I, like, totally need my rest?"  
"You're right. Don't want an epidemic!" Rogue said.  
"Feel better, Kitty!" Kurt blew a kiss to her and BAMFed away.   
"Careful!" Kitty exclaimed as Rogue picked up Katherine.  
"Calm down, Half Pint. I'll take care of her... I guess."  
"You GUESS? And, like, don't call me Half Pint."  
"Just kiddin'! Sheesh, you worry way too much... And I can call you whateva I want. Half Pint."  
"She's my baby..." Kitty coughed in a fit. "And, like, no, you can't! Stop it, Rogue!"  
"Yes, I can, and I have a hostage to prove it!" Rogue grinned evilly at Katherine, who writhed in her hold.  
"Katherine! Rogue, watch out for her scratch! I mean it!"  
Rogue smirked and looked at Kitty as she released her deathhold on Katherine.   
"Take care of her, Rogue... Please?"  
"Oh, all right. I'm leavin' now... I don't wanna catch anythin' either!" With that, Rogue left, Katherine in her arms.  
"Take care of Katherine..." Kittty muttered before she fell asleep, the meds finally taking their effect.  
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"Has anyone seen the peeler around here?" Miracle searched through the kitchen drawers, carrot in hand. It was her turn to make the salad.  
"Mira!" Meos briefly glanced up from her files and documents to look at her daughter with disappointment. She often took work home with her- who knew being a secretary was so hard? Especially when it was all Professor Xavier's stuff!  
"Oh yeah! That's right!" Mir grinned as she closed her eyes. A second later a knife appeared in her hands with a flash. The grin faded as she stared at the knife angrily.  
"I wanted a PEELER, not knife!"  
"Mir, calm down." Amarantha smiled kindly, her hair tied back with a kerchief. "You must have paitience with magic. Unconjure the knife, and try again."  
Mir sighed, blew a few stray blonde curls out of her way unsuccessfully, and closed her eyes once more. With a flash, the knife was gone.  
"Well, at least that worked. Now, the peeler." Mir took a deep breath and tried again.  
"Voilà." Meos said with satisfaction, as her daughter opened one eye to peer at the peeler in her hand.  
Since less than a year since their mother had re-entered their lives, Mir and Mara still attended lessons at the Xavier Institute. Slowly but surely, they were extending their knowledge in all directions, including magical talents (their "mutations"), magic, physical defense, and French. That was the lesson the girls were most proud of. The girls were French Canadian all the way, and were very eager to learn words like minuit and chat, which had a dual meaning- the French words for "midnight" and "cat," AND their mother's familiar, their cat of black color- Minuit Chatte, chatte being the feminine form of chat. Also meanings to songs like "Dites-moi," a song from the musical South Pacific as well as one of the lullabies their mother sang to them. They had long since grew out of it, but old habits are hard to break. Especially when they were fun as well.  
"Mom? I have a question..." Mir said, waving the peeler around in the air as she spoke. "If we can conjure knives and peelers and stuff..." Mir pointed the peeler in the direction of the pot of boiling water on the stove. "... why can't we just conjure the meal altogether?"  
"You've got to learn how to cook sometime, dear!" Meos said... as if that would explain everything.  
"...Why do we need to cook if we could just conjure our dinner whenever?!" Mir asked.  
Meos just glared at her. Mir sighed.   
"I think your spaghetti is burning," Meos said with a smirk on her face as the pot boiled over the brim.  
"Ahh! Mom! Help!" Mara backed away with fright, an she wrapped herself in her arms. "No! Mir, the water!"  
"Oh... merde!" Mir, realizing what was happening, shut the stove off. "Mara! It's okay, it won't get you!"  
"Oh no..." Meos knelt beside Mara, who had slid to the floor crying.  
"Oh Mom it was horrible! I still can't get it out of my head! I have the nightmare locked away in my head and I can't get it out... It burned..."  
"Oh it's okay dear, it's alright." Meos hugged her daughter close. "It's alright, 'Rantha. It won't hurt you anymore. The cave is all the way back in Xanth, and I even put up a "Danger" sign in front of it..."  
"Mom? You know what the cave is? Why we're afraid of hot water?" Mir asked.  
"Je ne suis pas née hier, ma chère..."  
"I... am not... oh, wasn't... born? ... What's 'hier?'"  
"Yesterday."  
"Oh. 'I wasn't born yesterday, my dear.' Oh!"  
"I should hardly think this is an appropriate time for a FRENCH lesson!" Mara said in between sobs.  
"You're right, 'Rantha. It isn't the right time at all." Meos smoothed down her daughter's hair. "It's alright, chère, it's okay, from now on I'll make the spaghetti..."  
"And anything else to do with boiling water?"  
"Of course."  
Mara breathed a sigh of relief and calmed down. "Can we conjure dinner, just this once? I think my fingers will turn into prunes if they don't escape water soon."  
"And to tell you the truth, Mom..." Mir glanced at the stove. "I'm really not in the mood for spaghetti at the moment... Can we have something else OTHER than Italian food?"  
"I don't see why not." Meos smiled. "In fact, how about if we order Chinese?"  
"Cool! I love sweet and sour chicken!" Mir exclaimed as she helped Mara up.  
"And as they say, you are what you eat!"  
"And... who said that?"  
"They did. And if they didn't, they should!"  
"What is THAT supposed to mean?"  
"Baka..." Mara muttered under her breath.  
"Salope!" Mir called her, outraged.  
"Kelbeh!"  
"Ama!"  
"I'm ordering now!" Meos warned as she pointed the phone in their direction.  
A typical day in the Meoskite household.  
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Kitty woke up slowly, and looked around when she didn't recognize her surroundings. She didn't know where she was... she for sure wasn't in the alley! She was trapped... the feeling overwhelmed her. Help! Where was... She coughed, this time spitting up blood. It floated around her, mixing with a jelly-like substance. She was still breathing, though. She was standing up in an encasement, and she could see out... It looked like a lab. She was chained in- she could see the doors open- Wolverine! And Rogue and Nightcrawler and Spyke, even with his broken arm, and Storm and Cyclops... they all were there. They were countered by objects... robots... Firing lasers and... They couldn't get to her!   
*You're too...* Kitty coughed again, blood spreading around her. *You're too late...* If only she would sneeze, maybe she could phaze through! She couldn't think, couldn't move... couldn't breathe, anymore... Couldn't do anything... Where was-   
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"KITTY!" Mara screamed, and sat up with a start. She breathed hard and started to cry in the night. The lights immediately flashed on as Meos ran into the room, and Mir banged open the door to the bathroom they shared, that connected to her room.  
"Mara! What's wrong?"  
"'Rantha? What happened, darling?"  
"Ohh... the nightmare! Kitty... Kitty! Is she okay? Where is she? Kitty! Oh, the others..."  
"Mara, shhh, they're at the Institute! Remember? Kitty's sick, she has a cold-"  
"No! No, it's going to get worse! I WAS Kitty, I had been captured, in some sort of... capsule, or something like that. Something was wrong, I was coughing up blood, I couldn't phaze through. The others came to try to save me, only they encountered some robots or whatever! 'You're too late,' I said. I was losing conciousness... I was looking for somebody..."  
"Kurt?"  
"Rogue?"  
"Professor X?"  
"You, Mara?"  
"No! No, it was someone else... It wasn't... Something about an alley..."  
"Shhh... Mara, it's okay. We'll see Kitty on Sunday, at the party, if she's better. Or we can call her tomorrow morning."  
"No... we need to go there tomorrow! As soon as possible!"  
"Oh, come here darling." Meos hugged Mara tightly. "Everything happens to you, child, you poor thing!"  
"Everything happens to all of us," Mir added. "What do you think the dream meant?"  
"It means we have to watch after Half Pint a lot more than usual..." Mara said sadly.  
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*Rayven... Rayven...*  
Mystique cleared her head. Where were these voices coming from? Last thing she knew, she had been in her bed, asleep... Why was she at the school? She looked around, intensely glaring at several students who were talking in the hall. They immediately shut up and went to class.  
*Rayven... Rayven...*  
Mystique looked around. Was she going crazy?  
Suddenly her surroundings turned dark, and she looked around, confused, changing into her mutant form. What was going on here?   
*Mystique... Step forth,* the famliar voice said. A voice Mystique thought she'd never hear again...  
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The next afternoon, Kurt found Rogue on her hands and knees, digging around underneath the main staircase.  
"Rogue? Vhat are you doing?"  
"Kurt? Have you seen Katherine? I can't find her..." Rogue crawled out and looked up at him expectantly.  
"You mean you lost her? Kitty's going to kill you!" Kurt looked at her, shocked.  
"I didn't LOSE her, I just can't FIND her! Now help me look! I already told the Prof and everyone else. Mir and Mara are distractin' Kitty, while the others search for her on the premesis... but so far she ain't been found."  
"How long has it been since you realized she vas gone?"  
Rogue gave him a blank look. "... I don't know!"  
"Ve're doomed," Kurt said matter-of-factly. Rogue glared.  
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"Minuit! Min! Where are you? Oh brother..." Meos shrugged and went back inside. It was getting late in the day; the sun was nearly setting over the horizon. Usually Min was home by then, if she ever chose to go out, which she had earlier that evening.   
"Fine, if this is how you like to play..." Meos went into a room labeled "Caution: Magical Contents." She opened the blinds but kept the lights off. She took out a cauldron and poured a ready potion into it, adding a few ingredients here and there. Finally she waved her hands over the smoking pot and closed her eyes.  
"Magical forces, unlimited power,  
It is always the time of the witching hour.  
Minuit, I call you, my black feline friend-  
My knowledge of your presence has reached an end.  
White magic, may your strength reign forever;  
Show me the whereabouts of my familiar!"  
A wind blew through the room, even though the window was closed. It blew through her hair, and stirred the potion, making the smoke swirl around her and the cauldron. Meos opened her eyes and peered into the smoke.  
"The INSTITUTE? Min, what are you doing NOW?" 


	2. A Loss and A Gain

Chapter Two: A Loss and a Gain  
  
"Hello... Hello? Charles?"  
"Ms. Ororo? Mr. Logan? Are you here?"  
"Hey, guys! Where are ya?"  
The Meoskite family quietly walked up the grand staircase.  
"Helloooo- Oh!"  
Kurt BAMFed to the landing, in between Mir and Mara, with Meos still on the staircase.  
"Vhat are you guys doing here?"  
"What, are we not allowed to visit anymore? Some friends!"  
Kurt gave Mir a look. She laughed.  
"I was just kidding, Fuzzy."  
"Min's missing- Mom asked the cauldron, and it said she was here. Have you seen the black furball slinking around anywhere?" Mara asked.  
"She's missing too?"  
"Uh-oh," Mir said at once.  
"I don't like the sound of this!" Mara commented.  
"Katherine is gone. Missing. Or as Rogue vould say, 'not findable.'"  
"Oh no!" Rogue walked in on the conversation. "Still no luck?"  
"Nein. Any news from ze others?" (AN: "Nein" is German for "no." At first I had spelled it "nine" ...now you can really tell my first language is English.)  
"Still no sign of 'er." Rogue shook her head.  
"Wait- Wait a minute." Mir held up one hand. "Does... Does Kitty know about this?"  
"Are ya'll crazy? If she evah caught word of this, she'd go insane! She'd nevah stay in bed, just like last time! You remembah how she refused to rest, just because 'poor little Katherine' was lost, after faintin' like that in the Danger Room! She had to get up and start lookin' for her herself. Well, that ain't happenin' this time! She is gonna stay in bed and rest, not knowin' a thing about it!"  
"Plus, she'd basically kill you, Rogue, if she knew. You VERE supposed to be taking care of her vhile Kitty recovered," Kurt said.  
"Not mah fault the furball got away! I turn mah back for ONE second-"  
"Okay, okay! You've answered my question, that's enough now!" Mir said.  
Mara giggled. "Maybe Katherine is with Minuit."  
Silence.  
"Ya know what?" Meos climbed the rest of the stairs and stood by her brown-haired daughter. "I think, just maybe, you're right, 'Rantha."  
"Ya'll got to be kiddin'."  
"Mom, can you summon Min? Tell her to bring Katherine as well?"  
"Well, let's see, I'll need my spellbook..." The objects appeared in her hands as she listed them, "... my cauldron, my potion set, MAYBE a touch of cat tongue and lost shadow mix."  
The others stared, dumbfounded.  
"Well, what are you all waiting for? Go and get me something that belongs to Katherine!" Meos said. "I'll take care of Min."  
"Um, excuse me, ma'am? Why didn't you just conjure Katherine and Min in the first place?"  
"Oh, don't be silly, Rogue. You can't conjure animate objects! Only inanimate objects can be conjured. Living things have to be summoned... oh, the process is so detailed and precise, I do wish we could just... 'conjure' people and such. Alas, hear my lament: It is not so," Meos said dramatically.  
Rogue blinked. "Okay...So then, how did you conjure Katherine last time? Back when she was first missing?"  
"Notice that she didn't come alone."  
"Huh?"  
"I conjured the bag, Rogue. Katherine just happened to be in it. Which was my plan. She came in the bag... I didn't just make her appear out of thin air, ya know."  
"Here you are!" Kurt appeared with Katherine's catnip mouse.   
"Why, thank you Kurt!" Meos smiled as Min's mouse toy appeared in her hands. She laid both items down on the ground, as well as everything else in her hands, and then knelt down in front of the cauldron.  
"Mom! You can't think of doing it HERE!"  
"Why not?" Meos asked innocently. "Oh, it'll be fun, just watch!"  
Mir groaned and smacked her forehead. "I can't believe we're performing a spell on the Institute's steps..."  
"Come off, Mira. I expect you AND 'Rantha to know all this by next Sunday; there WILL be a test! And if you believe it to be oral- ha! AND I want a paper on exactly WHY we can't conjure animate objects and only inanimate, AND some examples. Also why the techniques differ. The paper has to be longer than a page. I don't care what maximum; the minimum is exactly one page."  
Mir and Mara groaned. "Mom, it's almost Halloween!"  
"Exactly my point, Mira. More of a chance to fit all this new information inside your pretty heads." Meos then focused on the potion, adding the cat's tongue, Katherine's cat toy, and Min's mouse to the mix.  
"Vow," Kurt said. Rogue took it as aweness at the magic; Mir and Mara took it as an exclamation of their "torture."  
Then Meos began chanting.   
"Lords of wind, water, and void,  
Lords of fire and earth-  
Bring me the felines of Kitty and Meos  
Bring to their masters their mirth!  
Send the cats a warning,  
Clear as the light which shines,  
Get their cat butts back to their owners,  
Or we'll have their hides!"  
Again, the wind blew, swirling the smoke, mixing it all around. With a sudden burst it flew out into the night sky, then dove behind the greenhouse with a ray of light.  
"That had to be the most WEIRDEST thing I've ever seen! OR heard!" Rogue exclaimed. "Maybe the lamest..." She then thought of all the things she'd seen so far. "Oh, nevahmind..."  
"That's what you get for having witches for friends," Mara said.  
"They should be coming soon-" Meos cut herself off as she peered closer into the brew. "What!"  
"Huh? Mom, what's wrong?"  
"Wha? Oh, dear..."  
"Je ne suis pas née hier, maman."  
"Je sais! Je sais, chère. Mais ce n'est pas... oh mon Dieu."  
"What?!"  
"I know! I know, dear. But it's not... Oh my God."  
"What!"  
"Katherine... I can't find Katherine. She's isn't replying."  
"Does zat mean she's not here?"  
"Oh no, she's here alright. She got the message- she just isn't replying."  
"What does that mean?"  
"... I don't know. She may be unconcious."  
"Vhat?"  
"What?!"  
"What?!"  
"Oh no..."  
"Katherine!"  
"Huh?" Suddenly all five pairs of eyes turned to the other side of the landing, where Kitty stood, shaken.   
"Guys... what's going on? Where's my Katherine?"  
"I repeat... Oh no!" Rogue muttered.  
"You're toast," Mir said to her.  
"Aww, you hush!" Rogue said in a hushed whisper.  
"What's going on?! Somebody answer me! Mir, Mara... Ms. Meos, why are you here?"  
"Kitty, vhat are you doing out of bed? You should be resting..."  
"No, I shouldn't. Something is totally wrong. Where is Katherine? Why are they here?"  
Kurt went over to her and gently guided her back to her room. "Nothing important, Kitty. Min didn't come home yet, and zey thought she vould be here."  
"But what about..." Kitty suddenly stopped and hoarsely coughed. "Oh, man..."  
"Come on, lets get you back to bed."  
Suddenly, Kitty had a sneeze attack. She flew backward and phazed through the banister. After what seemed like a few hundred sneezes, she stopped and looked down.  
"Oh... man!" She let out a scream as she fell from mid-air. Kurt BAMFed to where she was and caught her awkwardly.  
"See vhat I mean? You're in danger if you don't get back to bed."  
"And I don't think that was a joke, Kitty." Rogue leaned across the rail to face Kitty, followed by Mir and Amarantha.  
"I agree," Mir said. Mara nodded in agreement.  
"But, Katherine!"  
"She's fine! Don't worry, I'm takin' care of her." Rogue said. Kurt tried hard to keep a straight face.   
"Oh... okay..." Kitty said faintly. She allowed Kurt to 'port to her room. He dropped her off, and after a small kiss, he BAMFed back to the others.  
"I hate lying to Kitty like zis... but I don't vant her to vorry!"  
"It's understandable, Kurt," Mara said. "But what are we going to do about Katherine?"  
"Follow me," Meos said mysteriously, and she raised the hood of her cloak. She banished her items, returned the cat toy to Kurt, and walked down the steps to the door.  
"Wait, Mom!"  
"Yeah, wait for us!"  
Mir and Mara raised their hoods as well and ran down the stairs. Kurt BAMFed away. He soon returned with his cloak on, and Rogue's in his arms.  
"You better not have gone through all mah stuff to find this," Rogue said as she grabbed the cloak away from him.  
"Don't vorry... I didn't! It vas just in your closet... Oh, by ze vay, Kitty's asleep again."  
"I hope she doesn't wake up." Rogue lowered the cloak over her clothes.  
"Come on, ve'll be left behind!" Kurt grabbed Rogue's arm as soon as she donned her hood and 'ported to where Meos was standing outside.  
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Meos made her way to the other side of the greenhouse. "Min!" she said in a whisper. "Min, get your hide out here this instant!" Meos heard giggles behind her. *That would have to be Mira and 'Rantha,* she thought. She WAS talking in the same tone of voice as when she lectured them. She had it coming.  
Suddenly, Meos stopped. Everyone crashed into each other, with exclaimations of surprise and temporary pain.  
"Ouch! Zat vas my tail!" Kurt cried out, rubbing his head.  
"Shhh..." Meos put a finger to her lips. "Minuit Chatte! Come here now, come here now, come here now!"  
A bright light flashed, and then the black cat was at Meos's feet, innocently sitting and looking up at her.  
"Min!" Meos reached down and picked up her familiar by the back of the neck. "Where is Katherine?"  
"I don't know, Meos! Oiy, put me down!" A strange voice said. Min struggled within Meos's hold.  
"Ex.. eh, excuse me? Did that cat just... talk?!"  
"Why don't you ask her yourself, Rogue?" Mir asked sarcastically. "Of course she can talk- she IS a witch's familiar, ya know!"  
"But she didn't talk last Christmas! Or any other time I saw her!"  
"She was talking to Katherine. Katherine doesn't understand human talk."  
"Back then she didn't," Min said.  
"Min, what do you mean? Answer me now, Minuit. Where is Katherine? I know you've seen her today. Where is she?"  
"I don't know where Katherine is, okay? She... disappeared."  
"Don't make me use force!"  
"Now you're starting to sound like Colleen."  
Min hit the floor with severe force, but managed to land on her paws all the same.   
"Minuit Chatte..."  
"I'm sorry! It was true. Everything I've said so far is true, and everything I'm saying now is true. I do not know where Katherine is."  
"But you were with her! We saw you!" Mara exclaimed.  
"Yes, that is true; I was with her. But she disappeared."  
Suddenly, a shadowy figure hesitatingly walked up behind Min. Green eyes reflected in the darkness.  
"Hello?" asked a strange voice.  



	3. Catgirl

AN: When Erine says "Kah!" she says it sweet and short, in one tone of voice. Unlike when Kurt says "Ja!" he stretches it out a bit, going from one tone of voice to a lower one. Ja means yes and kah means okay. Just to let ya guys know. Or, as Erine would say, I you make know! Aaaiiiee!  
  
Chapter Three: Catgirl  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Excuse me..." said the figure in a sweet, high-pitched voice. Every syllable, every consonant, every vowel was pronounced articularly, as if English wasn't very familiar. Had to be a foreigner. (AN: Imagine Shampoo from Ranma 1/2. Same tone of voice and everything.) "Can please you help? I..."  
"Hello? Who's there? Come, out of the night autumn chill, and into the light," Meos called out.  
The figure cautiously stepped into the light of Ororo's greenhouse.  
It was a girl... sort of. She looked like a hybrid beteween a cat and a human. Her cat ears were covered in black fur, with splotches of orange and white here and there. Her hair, up in a short high ponytail that only reached the back of her neck, was black with orange and white streaks. She had a long cat tail of the same color fur as well. Her nose was tinged pink, and the others knew it wasn't because of the cold. Right on each side of her mouth were two or three pairs of whiskers. Her fingernails were like claws; extremely long, and extremely sharp. The rest of her was human- quite human, in fact. The poor child was naked, exposing her beige skin to the cold. There were several cloth strips across her torso, but it was obviously not enough to battle against to cruel wind that chilled the air. No wonder she was shivering! The only other object she wore was a wide, purple leather choker around her neck, with silver buttons.   
"Oh mon Dieu," Mara muttered to herself.   
"Mein Gott..." Kurt couldn't help but say.  
The others were left breathless.  
"Oh my goodness! Come here, child. My name is Ms. Meos. I work here, at the Xavier Institute. You can trust me. Let's get you inside with some clothes on. For now, here's my cloak."  
Meos wrapped the girl/cat in her cloak and showed her the way to the door, the others following them.  
"You... not me hurt, kah?"  
"Why of course not! I wouldn't hurt you. We're going to get you some clothes, and a nice fire... Are you hungry?"  
"Eh? Oh, yes, I hungry! I no eat... dinner." The girl shrugged, then smiled up at Meos. She wasn't surprised when she noticed four incisor teeth, sharp like fangs. Meos also saw that her eyes were now blue, instead of the shade of green they had seen floating in the darkness behind Min.   
"What is your name? Comment-tu t'appelle?"  
"My sorry... I know not what you say. After the English."  
"Oh, that's alright. I was talking in French."  
"French? What be... French?"  
"Oh boy. Honey, nevermind. What is your name?"  
"Mine name? Mine name be..." The girl paused, her brow wrinkled in concentration. "...Erine!"  
"Do you have a last name, Erine?"  
"Last name? Oh, Kah... Calbby. Mine name last be Calbby."  
"Calbby? Mara, do you know where that name originated?"  
"No, Mom. I do not."  
"Neither do I."  
They reached the doors and went inside. Erine tripped on the rug, but Meos caught her in time.  
"Careful..."  
"I be fine!"  
"I think I'm ready to like zis girl..." Kurt said with wonder. Rogue hit him in the side.  
"Don't forget about Kitty, Elf!"  
Kurt glared at Rogue as he rubbed his ribs.  
"Erine..." Meos said. "Where did you come from? Where were you from?"  
"Where be me from? I be from... home."  
Meos sighed. "Where is home?"  
"Here!"  
Meos then noticed the Prof at the top of the stairs.  
"Will someone please explain what is going on here?" he asked quietly.  
"Oh, Professor!" The others rushed to their teacher, filling him in on the events that recently happened with a rush, leaving Meos at the bottom of the stairs, her arm around Erine protectively. Erine gazed up in wonder.  
"So Katherine has disappeared for good, and this new girl appeared out of nowhere?"  
"That's about it, Prof." Mir shrugged.  
"Charles..." Meos spoke up. "Are you willing to turn away a lost, cold stranger, without food or clothes in a strange land, from your doorstep?"  
The Prof looked shocked. "Why, of course not! Get that girl out of the cold immediately and into a new change of clothes this instant, Meos!"  
"I be not... umm, cold! I can to be warm!" Erine closed her eyes and concentrated. Suddenly she glowed with a soft light. Meos jumped back, alarmed.  
"Ouch! Oh, that burns!"  
The light subsided as Erine opened her eyes, a silly grin on her face. "See? I can to be warm!"  
The Prof stared with wonder. "A new mutant... Cerebro didn't detect any...unless she is a witch?"  
"Witch? I be no witch. I be Erine!"  
"No, Charles. I highly doubt she is a witch. She has no other powers, I believe. A witch would come better prepared... and clue herself in on the language."  
Erine turned to Meos, hurt in her eyes. "Language? I know language! I be to teach very well during... 'special circumstances,' as teacher say!"  
"Erine, who was your teacher?"  
"'My teacher was'... friend."  
"Who was that? Did they live here, in this land?"  
Erine paused for a second, then nodded.  
"Do we know him, or her?"  
She paused for a second...  
"I know not."  
Meos sighed. "Come, Erine. Let's get you something to wear."  
"I be warm!"  
"You cannot live in here without clothes!"  
Erine brightened... literally. "Live? Me live to can here?"  
"Why, of course! Sure! Yes! You are a mutant... you are special, just like us."  
Erine grinned. "Aaaiiiee!" She jumped for joy. Her stomache chose that moment to grumble. Erine blushed, then gasped with surprise.  
"Aaaiiiee..." she giggled.  
Everyone looked at each other. Meos shrugged.  
"I can see someone is hungry," she smiled. "Lets go get you clothes, and some dinner."  
Erine grinned. "Kah."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
The conversations between everyone, who had all gathered in the common room, immediately halted when Erine entered the room, fully clothed. Meos had her hands on the new girl's shoulders. Evidently she had her cloak back.  
Erine smiled, and her fangs gleamed. Her black jeans reached her ankles, where white sneakers showed from underneath. Her thin, colorful tail flicked back and forth behind her. Her white silk shirt with a collar buttoned down the front. A few stray hairs escaped from the short ponytail high on her head. Up in the ponytail, it was hard to determine exactly how long her hair actually was, but the ponytail reached the back of her neck, so it must not have been too long. Still around her neck was the wide black leather choker with silver snaps.  
"Umm... guys...," Meos began, "This is Erine Calbby. Her power is to generate heated light from her body. Professor, shall we see to a holograph generator for her?" The Prof nodded and handed Erine a small necklace, with a cute silver bell.  
"Inside the bell is the same object that creates and projects Kurt's hologram, inside his watch. You just push the button on the back, like this," he demonstrated, and immediately Erine's tail disappeared, and her cat ears were replaced with human ears. Her whiskers disappeared, as well as her cute little button nose, which was replaced with a human one. Her fingernails "shrunk" to normal... feminine size.  
"I thought a bell would be appropriate, in this case," Professor X said.   
Erine curiously took the bell, and shook it.  
"Aaaiiiee!" She laughed as the bell rang in a high pitch. Her fangs were gone, too. She danced in a circle, then hugged the Professor. "Bell be for me?"  
"Yes, Erine. To keep."  
"I like, I like! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Erine happily slipped the necklace over her head right away and grinned.  
Meos then introduced Erine to everyone else, explaining their powers and stuff. They all said their hellos, et cetera.   
"Kitty, our friend, is sick. She's upstairs in bed. Her power is to phaze through solid objects, and when she phazes through electronics, like computers, it causes it to short out and destroy itself," Meos explained.  
"Zat's a very graphic detailed version. I've never heard zat one before!" Kurt commented. Meos winked.  
"Kitty not be here?" Erine asked.  
"Right, Erine." Meos smiled patiently.  
"Oh! I her go to visit!" Erine smiled and left the room. Everyone looked at each other.  
"Does she know where Kitty's room is?" Rogue asked.  
"How could she? She just got here..." Mir said.  
The others looked at each other and immediately sprang from their seats to find the lost girl.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
CREAK...  
Kitty woke up with a start. She found that she was facing away from the door... something she didn't want to be doing at the moment. She was alone... but she wasn't alone.  
CREAK...  
Kitty tensed up. She wanted to cry out, but quickly bits her lips. If she gave away that she was awake... she might be dead. The room was barely lit, and was filled with a dusky ambience.  
CREAK...  
Kitty kept her eyes tightly squeezed shut.  
CREAK...  
"Kitty? Be you awake?"  
Kitty glanced up to see a shadowy figure standing in front of her bed...  
Kitty screamed. She screamed and screamed, stopping only for breath. She started to pound the figure with her fists, and kicked her feet inside her sheets, not quite sure of what she was exactly doing, hoping to make the frightening form go away, somehow. The figure yelped and backed away, the arms blocking it's head...  
Suddenly light flooded the room, blinding Kitty, who's screams ended with a shriek as she buried her head into her pillow to block out the evil rays.   
"What is going on here?" Kitty could hear Meos ask.  
Kitty gasped for breath and looked up to see Erine ready to cry.  
"OhmyGAWDsheliketotallyfreakedmeoutandIhadjustwokenuptohearlikefootstepsandthefloorboardswerelikecreakingjustlikeinthathorrormoviewherethatgirlgetstotallymurderedinhersleeponlyshewasn'tasleepshelikewakesuprightbeforetheystabhertodeathanywayIfeltlikethatgirlandwhenIlookeduptherewasthisfigureandHOWIwassupposedtoknowthatitwaswhoeverthisfreakisyougotmeandIlikefeltsototallyscaredandIlikethoughtitwasgonnalikekillmeorlikesomethinglikethatjustlikeinthatmovielikewherelikethatgirllikegetsliketotallylikemurderedinlikehersleeponlylikeshelikewasn'tlikeasleepandlike-"  
"Katherine Felicia!" (AN: I made that up. I really don't know her middle name. I don't even think she has one. But, think about it, Katherine Felicia Pryde, it sounds kinda cool, rolls off your tongue the right way... Anyway I'm rambling... *~_^*)  
Kitty shut her mouth.  
Meos sighed. "That's better..."  
Kitty whimpered softly and hugged her knees.   
*I think I have a headache,* Meos thought to herself. She winced and rubbed her temples, trying to relieve the pain.  
"Ms. Meos? What..." Kitty coughed till her throat was sore.   
"Shhhh.... Kitty, it's okay. This is a new student, Erine Calbby."  
"So late in the day?"  
"We found her. Outside."  
"..."  
"Erine, how did you know this was Kitty's room?"  
"I guess?" Erine sniffled.  
Meos looked at her weirdly. "Oh, well, whatever," she said, shrugging it off. "Erine, it's alright..."  
*Meos, is there a problem?* The Professor asked Meos telepathically.  
*Uhh... No, not anymore. Erine just... scared Kitty a little. They're fine now.*  
*Alright, then.*  
"Kitty be sick? Kitty no be to good feel?"  
"Yes, she's sick."  
"I that see no. She be... not true?"  
"Huh?" Kitty coughed harshly.   
"Oh... I... understand. My sorry." Erine cocked her head to one side, her expression a sad one. "Kitty, you feel better, understand? My sorry, I you scare."  
"Okay... Yes. It's... alright, I guess."  
"Good... Maybe, I... give sleep?"  
"Yes, you should let her rest," Meos said.  
"Oh. Kah! Buh bye, Kitty! I you see tomorrow?"  
"Uhh... yeah. Yeah, I guess I will see you tomorrow."  
"Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed. "Good. Buh bye Kitty!" Erine walked out with a grin on her face. Meos shook her head and smiled.  
"She's some character, isn't she Kitty? Very innocent, that girl."  
"Oh my GAWD she, like, totally freaked me out! What is WITH that girl?"  
"First of all, her mutation is, of course, the way she looks, and she can generate the heated light from her body." Meos paused to think. "She doesn't understand questions all too well... When you talk to her, talk to her without contractions, those can get confusing, and speak clearly. Not slowly. She isn't dumb. She's quite sharp, actually. And don't tell her that her English isn't that great, either! She gets real defensive about that. It seems that she knows the words, but not quite well, and she doesn't know where to put them. And I assume her vocabulary isn't very broad, either. She mentioned something about being taught under 'special circumstances...' Maybe she was taught English in a hurry. Wherever she used to be. She confuses all of us, Kitty. I think, from what I've seen, I understand her the most. I can actually understand what she's saying! English is a hard language to learn... maybe Kurt associates with her in that way as well. I don't think she's from around here... I think she's been alone for a long time. We don't know where she came from. Whenever we ask, she says, 'home!' She's extremely cheerful, considering that we found her pratically naked in the cold!"  
"Wait a minute... she was, like, in THIS weather? Like, naked?"  
"Yes. She only had a few strips of cloth around her torso, and some of those didn't even fit. I could barely get her shirt on, she twisted around so much. The poor girl can't even dress herself."  
"Oh my gawd..."  
"As for now, I hope she can manage to eat with utensils..."  
"She sounds like a kindergardener, but she acts so inferior... Like an animal... Katherine! Ms. Meos, where is she? I totally need to know..."  
Meos sighed. "I'm not sure, Kitty. Maybe I'll know in the morning."  
Kitty whined. "Katherine!"  
"Kitty, I promise. You will know in the morning."  
Kitty pouted, then coughed again. "Ugh... She's, like, a total mystery, this 'Erine' girl. We really don't know much about her, do we?"  
"No, we don't. Maybe we'll find out more tomorrow."  
"Yeah..." Kitty sniffled. "Oh, no..."  
"Kitty, good-night. Sleep well, and I'll see you tomorrow. As far as I know you are excused from tomorrow's training. It wouldn't make sense to beat what little strength you have left out of you in the Danger Room."   
"Okay... G'night."  
Meos shut the lights, backed out of the room, and went to close the door, but poked her head back in to say something. "Oh, and, another thing. Don't talk in dialects and accents to her- It just confuses her even more. I will talk with the others as well, including Rogue, Kurt, and Ororo. We all have to be careful around her. For now, good-night. Feel better! I promise, I will come see you tomorrow."  
"Good night, Ms. Meos. Thanks. Don't forget about Katherine!"  
The door closed behind Meos, silently enclosing Kitty's world in darkness. She sat, alone, and cried herself back to sleep.  



	4. Confusion and Improvement

Chapter Four: Confusion and Improvement  
  
"Vell zen..." Kurt said, as he sat down at the dining table next to Erine. All the others had left him alone with her- they probably thought he would be the easiest person to get to know her, besides Ms. Meos, who by then had left with Miracle and Amarantha.   
Erine stared at her food blankly, then at Kurt. "You no eat?"  
"No, I ate already..."  
"Oh." Erine went back to staring at her food. "Uhh..."  
"Hey, I zought you said you vere hungry?"  
"Eh?"  
"Hungry. You hungry?"  
"Hungry? Yes, I be hungry!" Erine said with enthusiasm.  
"Zen eat!"  
Erine stared glumly at her food. "Eat..."  
"Vhat's ze matter? Don't like pasta?"  
"Eh?"  
"Do you vant somezing else?"  
"Some...zing... Something else? Yes!"  
"Vhy didn't you say so? Come on!"  
Kurt led her to the kitchen, where he got out some foods. "Vhich one do you like?"  
"Eh?"  
"Do you like..."  
Suddenly, Erine's eyes lit up. "Ah!" She grabbed a tupperware and showed Kurt. "I like tuna! Tuna be... fish! Ka?"  
Kurt blinked. "Ja, fine vith me."  
Erine grinned. "Aaaiiiee!" Her grin faded as she looked down at the tupperware. "Eh... eat? Eat... with... fork?"  
"Ja..." Kurt gave her a weird look. "Zey're on ze table."  
Erine took a deep breath and walked back to the dining hall. She sat down and opened the tupperware. She gently picked up her fork, looked at it, and twirled it in her hands. She grinned again, and stabbed her tuna... backwards, the prong side facing up.  
"No, no Erine... It's zis vay." Kurt corrected her. *Vhat is wrong vith zis girl?* he thought.  
"Oh," Erine said, confuzed. She began to eat, with Kurt watching her, weirded out.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Aaaiiieeoooww!" Erine squealed as she woke up the next morning in her room. The falling leaves outside framed her window, and the light caused more shadows than usual. She stretched and yawned and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, all with a smile. "Aaaiiiee, I have sleep good!" She giggled. "I sleep in bed... Aaaiiiee!" She bounced out of bed and got undressed, with a little struggle. She hesistantly showered, trying hard not to scream for fear and dislike. After a while she got dressed, soon realizing that she had put her shirt on backwards and her socks on inside out. She didn't learn too much about dressing, apparently. She put on her necklace, but didn't activate it- she'd seen Kurt, and knew it was safe here. She bubbled all the way downstairs with that grin on her face.  
"Hello, everyone! You me remember?" She asked the multitude of people sitting around the dining hall table, all except Kitty and Kurt. The Prof looked at her, confuzed.  
"Hello, Erine... Yes, I remember you, but... How did you find your way to the dining hall? I sent Kurt to your room to bring you here, but as I see, you made it here all on your-"  
"Professor! She's not zere!" Kurt suddenly appeared at the Prof's side in a frantic. "I looked and looked, but I couldn't-"  
Kurt, surprised, looked over at Erine, who was trying miserably to surpress her giggles.  
"Oh. Nevermind." Kurt BAMFed to his chair and began piling food on his plate. "Mmmm... I love ze smell of bacon in ze morning!"  
Logan groaned. "Here we go again..."  
Erine laughed even more as she sat down next to Kurt.  
"And WHAT exactly, praytell, is so funny, Little Miss Light Bulb? Yeh, that's your nickname now. Light Bulb," Logan said.  
Erine laughed even harder. "My sorry. You people- so funny! Kurt me see not... I be here!"  
The others blinked.   
'She said it vas funny how I didn't see her vhen she vas right zere," Kurt explained in between bites.  
"Ohh..."  
"So, what's going on with Katherine?" Jean asked.  
Rogue took a deep breath. "She's still missin', and I still say, we don't tell Kitty."  
"Oh, it's not like she's ever going to notice," Mir said sarcastically as she walked in.  
"Mir? Mara? Huh?"  
"We were bored. Hey, Erine!" Mara waved.  
"We decided to just hang out here with Mom- no training!" Mir warned. "That's tomorrow!"  
The Professor chuckled. "I know, Miracle. I remember. I'm not that old yet."  
"Maybe we could find Katherine in the meantime," Mara said. "Oh, Prof, Mom's downstairs, she said she has the papers and everything."  
Professor X nodded.  
"Oh, and Mir, I agree with you," Scott said. "We should tell Kitty."  
"Hey, Kurt, ya got a straightjacket I could borrow?" Kurt made a face at Rogue, who rolled her eyes and continued. "'Cause that's what we're gonna need to keep her in bed. She's gonna wanna look for Katherine all day, somethin' that ain't good to do in fall with the flu," she said.  
"Don't worry... I'll handle it," Mara said with a shrug.  
"You sure?"  
"Umm... yeah."  
"Really sure?"  
"Yes, Rogue."  
"Careful when you do- she'll freak out!"  
"I expect that... Don't worry, I'll handle it!" Mara reassured her.  
"Well... okay..." Rogue finally said. "You'd do a better job anyway..."  
"So, Erine... Do you know how to write in English?" Jean asked.  
"No, I do know not how to write in English," Erine said, after a minute.  
"Do you know how to write at all?"  
"Eh? Oh, no! I know no write. I know mine name!"  
The others looked at each other. How was she going to manage through school?  
"Erine... do you know how to write in your language?"  
"I... mine language? I no have... write language."  
"No written alphabet? Where did you come from?" Scott asked, amazed.  
"I come from home," Erine said in a small voice.  
"Oh, come on, guys, you're scaring her," Kurt said. "Stop asking all zose questions. She's still got to adjust, you know." Kurt looked at Erine, who smiled. "Do not vor... do not fret, I mean, do not be scared, Erine. I... take care of you." He said awkwardly, trying to put things in a way she'd understand. Erine beamed.  
"Why, Kurt, thank you!" Meos walked into the room. Erine grinned as she saw her new friend. "You understand you must avoid major differences in the English language with your accents- they will confuse her. Also, you must-"  
"I know, I know. No contractions, no big vords... no big vocab. I know. I know how she feels."  
"Of course you do. Rogue, Ororo, much as I love you to pieces, tone down the accents until Erine can distinguish what you are saying. Please, for me. For Erine..." Meos pleaded as Rogue pouted.  
"I don't see the problem, Meos." Meos shot Ororo a look. "I, I mean, I do not see the problem. Of course I will follow your advice," she said. *We sound like robots,* she added silently to herself.  
Everyone looked at Rogue. She rolled her eyes. "Oh.. all right," she said, finally giving in. "But this ain't gonna... I mean, this is not going to be easy," she said, stressing the "g" in "going."  
"No one said it would be easy, Rogue. All of you have to be careful when you talk around her, or to her... She must be able to understand you," Meos said. She looked at Logan. "Got it, BUB?" Logan glared, then nodded slightly. Meos then placed a hand on Erine's shoulder and smiled upon the cat girl. "Do you remember all their names, Erine?"  
"Yes, I remember all their names, Ms. Meos. That be Kurt, that be Logan, that be Professor..." she said, listing them all one by one, pointing as she went. Meos smiled.  
*Meos, there is a problem, however small. I need you to teach her to write, possibly to count as well. And to speak properly, enough so that she can receive a good education and not be picked on,* Charles thought to Meos.   
*I will be glad to, Charles. Will she still be attending Bayville High by November, or later on in the year?*  
*That depends on how much you teach her. For now, I asked Ororo to put off enrolling her, in the meantime.*  
*Understood, Charles.* Meos smiled down at Erine, who by now had completed naming everyone and their talents.  
"Erine, how many people are in this room?"  
Erine's face went blank. "Ah..." Then she proceeded to tick them all off on her fingers, eventually reaching ten. Her face brightened.  
"Ten! Ten people be in room. Kitty be sick still, right? She be in bed, still. Good... me no can high count!"  
Meos sighed. "We have a lot to teach you, Erine... Are you ready for training?"  
Erine drew a blank look. "Train-ing?" she asked, dividing the syllables. "What be train-ing?"  
"Oh boy..."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Kitty? Are you awake?" Mara knocked on her friend's door.  
"Yeah... I'm awake," Kitty groaned. "I've totally BEEN awake, for like, three hours now! I, like, totally can't sleep!" she whined.  
Mara giggled and opened the door, carrying her friend's breakfast and medicines.  
"Mara?" Kitty asked, surprised. "What are you doing here?"  
"Mir and I decided we should come visit today... And catch a ride to school. Are you feeling better?"  
"No."  
"Well, that should change soon. Here's your breakfast..." Mara put the tray on the table beside Kitty's bed. "... and here are your meds."  
"So, like, you're taking care of me now?"  
"I guess so."  
Kitty popped the pills down with ease. She grimaced as she drank her orange juice. "Oh... that's, like, icksome. Anyway... Like, where's your mom?"  
"Oh, she's filing some documents for the Prof. She said I should come and talk to you, though."  
"Like, about Katherine."  
"Umm... yeah." Mara sat nervously in a chair nearby. "Kitty..."  
"She's gone, isn't she?"  
Mara blinked and nodded sadly. Kitty sat up with alarm.  
"I told Rogue to take care of her!"  
"It wasn't her fault, Kitty. It was no one's. She somehow got out without anyone looking and she's out there... somewhere. Mir and I, we're still looking for her, while the others train."  
Kitty started to get up, but started having a sneeze attack again. She fell back into bed, exhausted.  
"God bless you." Mara said. "No, we forbid you to get up and look for her yourself! You need rest. Don't worry, we'll take care of everything!"  
"Is that, like, a good thing?" Kitty glared.  
"It is if you let it be."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Meanwhile, Erine stared at herself in the mirror, amazed. Her new uniform fit her perfectly. She suddenly jumped as someone knocked on her door.  
"Aaaiiieeoooww!" She cried out, alarmed.  
"Hello? Erine? Are you in there? Is everything okay?" Jean's voice could be heard.  
Erine let out a sigh of relief and opened her door, with a little struggle.  
At last, Jean walked into the room, in regular clothes. "Erine? Are you alright?"  
"Eh? Yes, I be kah!"  
Jean smiled and closed the door behind her. "Are you getting ready for training?"  
"Yes, I be to get ready for train-ing. Kitty be there?"  
"Oh, no. Kitty is still sick." Jean sat down on Erine's bed. "Erine? Have you ever... thought about your appearance?"  
"Eh? Uh... Oh! No."  
"Has anyone else? Back when Kurt lived in Germany-"  
"Ger-ma-ny? What Ger-ma-ny?"  
*Oh my gawd,* Jean thought. *I'm talking to a friggin' kindergardener.*  
"Uh... It is a country, just like the United States, only Germany is in Europe- another continent, just like North America."  
"Oh," Erine said, clearly not understanding.  
"Anyway, when Kurt still lived in Germany, he did not have his watch, like you have your bell. People said he was a demon-"  
"De-mon?"  
"Someone bad. A devil or evil spirit. A bad, evil creature... I'm losing you. Anyway, people did not understand that Kurt was not a bad person at all. People always hated him. They hurt him in every way. Did people ever do that to you?"  
Erine thought to herself. "Yes. Me not have home before... I have home. I be hungry always, and I be not safe." Erine smiled. "Then I be found, and I have home." Erine shrugged. "And then bad person come, to take me away. Then I go back to home."  
"Okay..."  
"I know how Kurt to feel."  
"I am sure he knows what you are going through now as well."  
Erine looked back at the mirror, studying herself. "People be scared when to see me?"  
"Maybe... It depends on the person." Jean then took out a brush and styling gel. "How about if we give you a new hairstyle? It'll make you seem just a little more human. If you don't like it... If you do not like it, you do not have to keep it."  
"Hairstyle?"  
"Come here." Jean gently sat Erine down in front of her mirror and took out her ponytail. "I promise, I will not hurt you. If I ever do, it will not hurt much. Just a pulling sensation. It might actually wake you up, a bit. It does with me."  
So Erine sat there, hugging her knees, watching with wide eyes, as Jean brushed her hair, carefully avoiding her cat ears. The cat girl didn't even wince when the brush got caught or pulled her hair too hard. Finally Jean put in the styling gel, running her fingers through Erine's shoulder length technicolor hair.   
"There we go... You look a lot different!"  
Erine stared at herself. Now she didn't look quite as weird... It looked like she was wearing those fake cat ears that come on headbands... She had seen a commercial for them on TV yesterday. You couldn't quite tell, now, that she didn't have human ears.   
"Aaaiiiee! I be..."  
"Pretty?"  
"Eh? I? Pretty?"  
Jean smiled. "Yes, you do look pretty." She then glanced at the clock and gasped. "Oh no! I have to go change! We have to be at the Danger Room in five minutes! I'll see you there soon... You can ask Professor X to show you where that is!"  
With that, Jean rushed out of the room. Erine glanced at her bed where the brush and gel bottle lay.  
"Jean! You forget-"  
"Keep them! I've got my own!" Jean called back.  
Erine glanced back at the hair items and grinned. "Aaaiiiee!" She danced and then made her own way to the training area.  



	5. Tests, E-Mails, and A Visit

Chapter Five- Tests, E-Mails, and A Visit  
  
Erine's eyes widened at the sight of the Danger Room in action. She was with Professor X and Ororo in that little bubble thingy he's usually in, with the control panel and elevator. (AN: Hey, I don't know what it's called! The Control Area? Je ne sais pas! *I don't know!*) Ororo was busy directing the robots and lasers and stuff, and so she didn't contribute to the conversation Charles and Erine were having. The... INterESting... conversation. (AN: *evil grin*) She felt she shouldn't intrude.  
"Aaaiiiee!" Erine placed her hand on the glass as Kurt narrowly missed a laser beam.  
"It is alright, Erine. The are used to this training."  
"This be... train-ing?"  
"Yes, Erine. That reminds me... You need a name."  
"Name? I have name! Name be Erine!"  
The Prof chuckled. "That is not quite the name I meant... but oh well. For example, Scott has the name Cyclops, Ms. Ororo has the name Storm, and Mr. Logan has the name Wolverine. Do you remember Amarantha? Her other name is Everlast. Kurt has the name Nightcrawler, and Kitty has the name Shadowcat."  
"Kitty? She be kah?"  
"... Oh, no. No, Kitty is still sick. She is not down there, Erine."  
"Oh... What be you? What be Jean? And Miracle and Ms. Meos?"  
"Jean is... Jean. She has no other name, when she fights. I, on the other hand..." Professor X had to pause to laugh at the thought of him fighting... under an assumed name! "I do not need another name, Erine. I do not fight. Ms. Meos rarely fights, but when she does, she keeps Meos. And Miracle is like Jean- she keeps her name, Miracle."  
"Oh," Erine said, in that way she does, with her voice sliding from extremely high to moderately high. "Be these name fight?"  
"Right. Those are their fighting names. Also, maybe Ms. Meos will give you a cloak like hers."  
"Cloak?" Erine asked, confused.  
"Uhh... the cape, and hood, she wore. The long black coat with a hood that hid her face."  
"Oh! That be cloak?"  
"Yes, that is a cloak."  
"Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed. "She me give cloak of her! Night of the last, remember?"  
The Prof looked at her quizzically, then smiled. "Oh yes. She gave you her cloak to keep you warm before you got your clothes. Yes, I remember, Erine."  
"She me give cloak to keep?"  
"One like it, yes. If you ask her."  
"Oh, me her ask! Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed. "What be mine name fight?"  
"You should ask the others what they think. I am sure they will give you some good ideas." The Prof smiled.  
"Kah!" Erine grinned as she looked at her new family down below. "It be turn of me?"  
"Are you sure you are ready to handle it?"  
Erine closed her eyes and glowed softly. The Prof chuckled.  
"Alright, okay. Yes, you can go. Be careful, though... Watch out!"  
"Kah!" Erine smiled innocently as she entered the room.  
Immediately, the large robot thingies attacked her. She somersaulted out of the way and landed facing them, her hands poised, ready to attack. She hissed, bearing her fangs. It attacked again, shooting electric shocks at her. (AN: Cyclops said something about cannons and tentacles... I think. I see it as lasers and giant claws... Oh well, to each their own!) Erine dodged to the side and clawed it through on her way up. It short-circuted and fell to the floor in a heap. Erine slinked backwards, backing into the wall, tense as she could ever be, carefully watching. Suddenly, an giant claw focused on her, it's electric arc aimed and ready. Her eyes widened and she handspringed away just in time. She began to glow, as the laser neared her. She pointed one long fingernail at the claw thingy, and suddenly-  
BOOM! Light crackled from Erine's finger as it shot halfway across the room to the generator. Sparks flew as the laser stopped just short of her pink button nose.   
"Hssss... Reaow!" she warned, her eyebrows narrowed, her lips pursed together, her whiskers twitching. Her hands were ready to strike whatever came her way again...  
Clap... clap... clap... Clapclapclapclapclapclap...  
Suddenly the room erupted with applause, as all the giant claws and laser thingies got sucked back into the wall. Cyclops even whistled, which resulted in a look from Jean. Surprised, Erine's cat ear twitched, and she looked up to see everyone's smiling faces, even Evan, who was out of uniform and standing to the side, his arm in the cast. He would have been ready if anyone had messed up and fired at him, anyway. Nightcrawler walked over to Erine and placed an arm around her shoulders. The applause silenced as soon as Nightcrawler began to speak.  
"Velcome... I, I mean, Greetings to ze... uhh, Greetings to our X-Men team... Katze." *Boy, zis vill take some getting used to,* he thought.  
"Katze? Katze be mine name fight?"  
Nightcrawler laughed. "Ja, if you like it."  
"Katze? I like!" Erine grinned. "Sound like Katzchen!"  
Nightcrawler froze. "Katchen? How do you know..."  
Erine shrugged. "I... hear you say to Kitty."  
Nightcrawler looked at Erine weird, but then shrugged. "Vhatever."  
"Katze, huh? What is that?" Wolverine asked.  
"Katze is Erine's fighting name. It is also German for cat."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
*Sender: XShadowKittyX (Kitty Pryde)  
Recipient: LionPryde (Mom and Dad)  
Subject: I'm ready to die!  
Date: 11:11:11 AM Eastern Time, Sunday, December 21  
Contents:  
I'm so going to cry as I'm typing this. Rogue lost Katherine! She says she didn't lose her, she just can't find her. But I totally know she totally knows the truth. My Katherine is missing! And I can't do anything about it! And I'm talking about big chances if she's found! I know Kurt said that she still has her collar on, but still, she could get it caught on something or something or something like that! She could be anywhere! Oh, what if she's hungry, and cold, or hurt? What if she's lying in a gutter somewhere bleeding to death? Oh, Mom! Dad!   
As I said before, I can't do anything! Rogue threatened to make Mir conjure a straightjacket just so I would stay in bed. I can barely get up anyway. I either sneeze or cough till my throat is raw. I'm still sick. Kurt's trying so hard to comfort me... Mara is too, pratically everyone is... I just wish they'd shut up and look for Katherine more! Even Evan- I don't give a damn about his broken arm!  
Depsite my feelings of despair, we have a new student. This girl was out in the cold, hungry, without anyone, in a strange land- she can't speak English too well. Ms. Meos, Kurt, and Rogue found her outside, with only a few rags for clothes. She has cat ears, whiskers on her cheeks, a thin tail, and fangs and long sharp nails. Her mutation is to generate heated light from her body- I guess she could've survived the sudden outside. I can use one word to describe her personality, and that is innocent. I guess her laugh is cute, and she has a really high pitched voice. But she doesn't know much English, so that makes her seem really young. She's cheerful alot, and kind, I guess. She did stop by last night to tell me to feel better. Her name is Erin*  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Erine be to have two 'e.'" Erine said, peering over Kitty's shoulder.  
"Huh? Oh, Erine! Totally don't do that!"  
Erine looked at Kitty questioningly.  
"Do not look at my e-mail!" Kitty said.  
"Oh, my sorry. But Erine be to have two 'e.'"  
"Huh? Oh, your name. Hey, since when can you read?"  
"I read mine name. Erine be to have two 'e.'" (AN: She pronounced "read" like "reed," not "red.")  
"Huh? Oh, like this?" Kitty added an "e" after Erine's name. Erine smiled.  
"Yes, like this. That be name of me."  
"That is how you spell it?"  
A pause, "Yes. Erine Calbby. E... r... i... n... e... C... a... l... b... b.. y... Oh, that be all!"  
"But... Oh, nevermind. Thank you for telling me, Erine."  
"You're welcome!"  
Kitty went back to typing.  
"Kitty be good to feel?" Erine asked.  
"Huh? Oh, no. No, I am not feeling better."   
"Oh. That be bad. You need good to feel."  
Kitty paused, "Erine? How old are you?"  
"Old? Oh... I... I have..." Erine paused. "I have fourteen years!"  
"I thought you, like, told everyone you couldn't count above ten!"  
"Uh? Eh? Oh, I that know. I know just age. Age above ten, I think." Erine's smile quickly turned into a frown as Kitty went back to typing. "Something bother you. What be it?"  
"It's nothing important," Kittty was quick to say.  
A pause. "It be must! You be sad, Kitty!"  
"No, I am not."  
"Yes, you be."  
"No, I'm, like, totally not!"  
"Yes, you be."  
"Erine!"  
Erine lowered her head sadly. "My sorry..."  
Kitty sighed and put her laptop aside. "No, my sor- I, I mean, I'm sorry. I am sorry. It wasn't... was not your fault. I'm in... I am not in a good mood. I could blame it on being sick, I could blame it on being tired, but I can't. I can not."  
"You me forgive?" Erine looked at Kitty hopefully.  
"You did not do anything wrong!"  
"You me forgive?"  
Kitty sighed. "Yes."  
Erine grinned. "Aaaiiiee! Good, good! I you not want to feel mad! Or sad!"   
Kitty blinked. "I actually made sense of that. Wow!"  
Erine giggled again. "Aaaiiiee! You me know good!"  
"... Now, that could be taken two ways. You're either saying 'I know you well,' or 'you know me well.' But, if you had wanted to say 'I know you well,' you would have said 'Me you know well,' wouldn't you?"  
Erine blinked. "Eh?"  
"I take that as a yes," Kitty said. "Oh... nevermind, I'm totally confusing myself too." Kitty shook her head, but soon regretted it.  
"Ah... ah... aCHOO!" Kitty sneezed, almost phazing through her laptop, but stopped herself just in time.  
"Eh... eh... Blesses you!" Erine said.  
Kitty laughed. "Oh, that was close."  
"You kill computer, almost!"  
"Yeah, that would have a total bummer!" Kitty opened the laptop and resumed typing, carrying on a conversation with Erine at the same time.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
*-...Erine Calbby. She says that she's fourteen years old, even though she can only count up to ten. And she can only read her name- she fixed my spelling. I didn't know she had an extra 'e' and I was totally going to forget her last name, because I didn't know how it was spelled. She told me. Told ya she didn't know English. I don't think she even knows the alphabet.   
Erine is really sweet, though. She can pick up on emotions real easily. She noticed that I was upset about Katherine, but I didn't tell her about it. She never yelled, but was stubborn. And when I yelled at her, she apologized! When I realized she thought she had done something wrong, I told her it wasn't her fault. I guess she didn't understand, 'cause she just apologized again. So I "forgave" her. She said she didn't want me mad at her... or sad. I think I'm totally beginning to clue in on her way of talking. And when I sneezed, she said "Blesses you!" in her childish voice. Cute, huh? I guess, so far, Erine is totally cool. I don't know if I will tell her about Katherine or not... Do I need another person in the pity party? Yet I'm sure she could help out... Oh, I dunno. Any advice?  
Love,  
Kitty.  
PS: I'm just kidding about the whole "I'm ready to die!" thing... I think.*  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Kitty? Medicine."  
Kitty groaned as Mara somehow opened her door and set a tray down on the table.  
"Honestly, I don't know why I'm the one who's doing this. Mir's the one who wants to be a pediatrician, not me..."  
"That's my cue, sis. Mom says we're leaving soon. I'll take over." Mir walked through the doorway.  
Kitty glanced from Mara to Mir. "Don't I get any say in this? Why can't I just give myself the medicine?"  
Mara and Mir exchanged glances and laughed.  
"Good one, Kitty. Alright, get better. I'll see ya when I see ya."  
Mara left the room, leaving a grinning Mir with Kitty and her medicines. Kitty groaned once more.  
"I'm, like, totally doomed..."  
"Oh cheer up, Kitty. Open, as well."  
Kitty downed her meds and grimaced. "Totally icksome."  
Mir shrugged. "At least I'm not the one who's taking it!"  
"Oh? You sure?" Kitty coughed harshly.  
"Ohhh... that was low."  
"Hey... Mir?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What's going on with Katherine? Anyone looking for her? I know she has her collar on, but still, somehting could happen, and I don't want her, like, killed or something like that!"  
Mir sighed. "Kitty, if I knew, I would tell you in a heartbeat."  
Kitty stifled a few sobs. "Thanks... I guess... Hey, what do you, like, know about Erine?"  
Mir looked at Kitty strangely. "What do you mean? Why?"  
"I'm curious. I don't get to, like, spend the whole day with her... well, not yet."  
Mir shrugged. "Well... she's hard to describe." Mir then proceeded to go over the day's events with her friend, not leaving out a single detail about the new mutant.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Katherine... Katherine!" Kurt whispered as he walked through the woods surrounding the Institute. He decided he needed to look for her once more; he felt so bad for Kitty! He paused as he heard a ruffling in the bushes. "Katherine?"  
"Kurt?" Kitty, all dressed, walked out from behind a tree. "What are you doing out here?"  
"Kitty?! I'm asking you ze same zing! You're sick, Kitty, you should be in bed-"  
"No! No, I'm fine now. I'm glad I ran into you... I need to talk to you." She grabbed his hand and led him to a tree with a low bending branch. She sat down and looked up at him.  
"Vhat is zis all about, Kitty?" Kurt asked, concerned.  
"This is about us... The X-Men."  
"Ohh!" Kurt let out a sigh of relief. "I zought you vere dumping me!"  
"Huh? Oh, no! No, I would never dump you. I love you," Kitty smiled and kissed him on the cheek. She sat back down and continued to look up at him with her big eyes, and held his hand in her own.  
"Kurt... I feel so alone." Kitty sighed. "Let's face it, you and I are the only X-Men who can't fight offensively for ourselves. The others can; some of them can even do defensive too! But we're the only people who have only defense. No offensive powers. And how are we supposed to fight alongside the X-Men when all we can do is run away?"  
Kurt looked at her seriously. "I've never zought of zat. You've zought zis zrough, haven't you?"  
Kitty nodded. Kurt pulled his hand away slowly.  
"Only, I see zree flaws. One: You couldn't have recovered from your cold zat quickly. I kept expecting you to sneeze mid-sentence and phaze zrough ze tree. Two: You're talking different. I know you couldn't have adjusted to Ms. Meos's instructions zat easily. No 'like' after every single vord? No 'totally' in between? Zree: Ze Kitty I know vould never zink like zat. She is devoted to ze X-Men... just like I am." Kurt stared into Kitty's eyes. "You aren't Kitty."  
"Oh yeah?" She stood up.   
"Ja. You couldn't phaze zrough zat tree even if you sneezed a million times... Mother."  
Mystique changed to her mutant form.  
"Kurt... Let me explain. I only want what's best for you."  
"I don't zink you posing as my girlfriend is best for me," Kurt said, crossing his arms.  
"I was trying to convince you! You'd never had listened to me if I came to you as myself!"  
"True."  
"Just listen to me, just this time! I am your mother and a fellow mutant!"  
"You're also my enemy."  
"That can be changed! It doesn't have to be that way!" Mystique grabbed one of Kurt's hands. "Son, come with me! I could give you so much more, you would be happy with me! We could be a family... together!"  
"Kurt?" Kurt could hear Erine in the distance. "Where be you? Kitty you want! Professor say that you to be outside!"  
Kurt glared at Mystique and pulled his hand away once more, this time with edge and anger. "No, Mother. My family is here. My girlfriend... is here. I'm learning here. I don't vant to live anyvhere else. And I vere to leave, I vould never go vith you. So leave me alone."  
"Kurt..."  
"No."  
"Let me ask this one question: If I died, would you be sad?"  
Kurt paused. "... I von't tell anyone zat you're here, if you leave immediately and quietly."  
Kurt BAMFed away.  
*See? What did I tell you?* A shallow voice asked Mystique. *Now, will you acccept my offer?*  
Mystique sadly nodded her head, then turned into a raven and flew away.  



	6. Catfight

Chapter Six: Catfight  
  
At dinner, Kurt hardly touched his food. Mystique's question floated throughout his head, constantly ringing, her voice never leaving his thoughts. *"If I died, would you be sad?"*   
*Vould I miss her? Vould I... cry, if she died?* Kurt thought. *Vhat vould happen zen?* A thought hit him like a ton of bricks. *Vould it be me who vould kill her?*  
"Kurt... Hello? Kurt, there be you? Kurt, be you kah?" Erine peered closely at Kurt. The girl had only tuna fish on her plate, and a glass of milk. It was all she had been eating since she got there... Tuna and milk... Every day... (AN: Now, that MUST be disgusting.) Kurt was surprised she knew how to drink from a glass. He remembered how she had been clueless about the fork and other silverware. Maybe one of the others had showed her.  
"Huh... Vhat? Oh, I am sorry, Erine. I did not notice you." Kurt glanced around, noticing that Mir, Mara, and Ms. Meos weren't there. *Zey probably vent home,* he thought. He also saw that Jean's chair was empty as well... "Hey, vhere is Jean?"  
"She went out for a while... said something about... something," Scott said in confused rush.  
"Oh..." Kurt picked at his food with his fork, busying himself so he couldn't think anymore. His last question has scared him. *"Vould it be me who vould kill her?"*  
"Okay, something's gotta be wrong. He didn't eat, and he's not talking." Logan said. "Plus, he didn't hang from the lights at all."  
"Honestly, Logan, I never thought you'd care," Rogue said impishly. Logan glared.  
"No, I am fine, Logan. I... am just not hungry today." Kurt said with a sigh.  
"Is he catching Kitty's flu? It did start out with a fever..." Ororo said.   
"No, I feel fine, honest!" Kurt protested.  
"Woah, woah. Calm down, everyone. I'm sure if Kurt felt ill, he would tell us, wouldn't you Kurt?" Professor X asked.  
Kurt nodded vigorously.  
"Kurt no be sick now?"  
"Yes, I swear, I am fine!"  
Erine grinned. "That be good!"  
"Although, Kurt, there is the factor that you still haven't touched your dinner."  
"Yeah, man, what's up with that?" Evan asked, flexing the fingers of his broken arm out of habit.   
"You usually eat everything on the table!" Scott said.  
"Vell, not today," Kurt muttered to himself.  
Erine's smile disappeared. "So... now, you be not not sick?"  
Kurt laughed half-heartedly. "You guys are confusing her!"  
"She's confusing me!" Rogue said.  
"I assure you guys, I am alright!" Kurt pleaded once more. "I am just not hungry right now."  
"Oh! I see. He sneaked out snacks from the kitchen again," Scott said with a smirk.   
"Busted," Evan said.  
"Uhh... Ja, heh heh..." Kurt said with a faint smile.  
"Kurt be not sick or not not sick?!" Erine asked, frustrated.  
"Not sick, Erine... just grounded," Logan said.  
"Ground-ed?" Erine asked with wonder.  
"He is not allowed to go anywhere until we say so," Logan explained.  
"Oh... brother," Kurt said. He sighed and put his head in his hands.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Kitty? Be you kah?" Erine poked her head in Kitty's room. To her surprise, she found her up and dressed for once, and she was making her bed. She must have been up for a while- the room was spotless, even Rogue's side. Kitty looked up and smiled.   
"Hey, Erine. Yeah, I am feeling a little better. I need to get up and do some stuff anyway."  
"Can I come with you?" Erine asked softly.  
Kitty blinked. *Wow, that was totally scary. That sounded like real English! She must be, like, catching on,* she thought. "Sure, why not?"  
"You me might want not."  
"No, I want you to come along."  
Erine grinned. "Aaaiiiee! Good, good! Be you hungry? Kurt no eat dinner- you eat!"  
Kitty sneezed, almost phazing through her bed- facing down, for once. "What?!"  
Erine blinked. "Blesses you! Eat you dinner of Kurt?"  
"Kurt didn't eat his dinner?" Kitty asked, worried.  
"Eh?"  
Kitty stormed out the door. "Kurt!"  
"Kitty?" Erine blinked again, then followed her new friend. She caught up to her when she had paused in the hall to search for Kurt.  
"Where is Kurt? Why did he not eat?" Kitty asked her. "Is he sick? Did he get it from me? Tell me, Erine, tell me!"  
Erine blinked once more. "Kurt... he be not sick! Or be that not not sick... Ah... I know not no more." Erine shrugged.  
"Come on- we're looking for him!"  
Erine cried out as Kitty grabbed her wrist and pulled her along.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"We not ask Professor? Why do not?"" Erine asked, as Kitty called out Kurt's name. They were outside, and it was starting to get dark, and extremely cold. But the silly girls had forgotten to bring out their cloaks, or any jackets."Because, Erine, I do not want them to realize I am out of bed. Kurt! Kurt where are you? Are you feeling okay? Oh, where is he?"  
"Kitty?" Erine cocked her head to one side. "Do you... not to hear that?"  
"Huh?"  
Erine slowly straightened her head. "I think, maybe this way?" Erine walked away, leaving Kitty to sneeze and cough till she figured it out.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Erine? What are we doing here?" Kitty looked around. They had long since left the Institute's surrounding estate. They were now entering the city, and the sun was setting over the horizon. The darkness surrounding the city was starting to make Kitty nervous.  
"Do you hear not it?" Erine smiled and sped up a little.  
"No, I don't hear it! Where are we going?"  
"We go to find Kurt!" Erine turned into an alley.  
"Are... are you sure? Why would Kurt... Oh, unless he's hurt, or worse-"  
Kitty stopped. They had reached a dead end. Kurt was no where to be found.  
"Erine!"  
"Ohh..." Erine tilted her head to one side, confused. "It stop!"  
"What stopped?" Kitty asked, frustrated.  
"The sound. The... the nice sound. Pretty. Like this." Erine focused her head once more and hummed a strange yet hypnotizing melody.  
"Oh... wow, that is pretty. But you do, like, realize... that, like, totally had nothing to do with Kurt!"  
"Eh?"  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
*There's two of them?* Mystique, as a cat, noticed two figures approach the alley. *Oh well. It'll do,* she thought to herself. She changed to mutant form, then grinned evilly, as she realized who exactly were there before her.  
"Here, Kitty Kitty Kitty...."  
"Huh? Who... Who's there? Erine, let's get out of here!"  
"Hello, Kathy..."  
"Kathy?! No! No, no say that, that be not mine name! Mine name be Erine!" Erine started to panic, and covered her ears with her hands.  
"Huh? Erine, what's wrong? What's going on here?"  
"Come now, Katherine..." The strange voice said, referring to both of them.   
"NO!" Erine cried out.  
"Hey, what's- Hey! Help!" Kitty screamed. She could barely make out a dark figure looming over them.  
Then everything went black.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Kitty woke up slowly, and looked around when she didn't recognize her surroundings. She didn't know where she was... she for sure wasn't in the alley! She was trapped... the feeling overwhelmed her. Help! Where was... She coughed, this time spitting up blood. It floated around her, mixing with a jelly-like substance. She was still breathing, though. She was standing up in an encasement, and she could see out... It looked like a lab. She was chained in- she could see the doors open- Wolverine! And Rogue and Nightcrawler and Spyke and Storm, even with his broken arm, and Cyclops... they all were there. They were countered by objects... robots... Firing lasers and... They couldn't get to her!   
*You're too...* Kitty coughed again, blood spreading around her. *You're too late...* If only she would sneeze, maybe she could phaze through! She couldn't think, couldn't move... couldn't breathe, anymore... Couldn't do anything... Where was-   
Suddenly the glass smashed around her. A spike had penetrated the encasement. Spyke could still function with his arm busted. Kitty fell to the floor in a heap. All the sounds rushed to her ears, keeping her awake. She heard another crash as Jean fell unconcious to the ground beside her, along with broken shards of glass. A spike fell to the floor close beside her.  
"Jean..." Kitty gasped.  
"Miracle! Rogue! Get zem outta here!" Nightcrawler said, fighting to keep one of the robots at bay.  
"I'm on it!" Miracle soon picked Kitty up and propped her against the nearby wall, out of the way. Rogue grabbed Jean, with a little struggle. Jean was out for the night. No help there.  
"Speak to me, Kitty... Kitty? Kitty!"  
Kitty suddenly thrashed around, crying and screaming. "No! No, don't take me! Don't hurt me!"  
"Shhhh... Kitty! Kitty, it's me. It's us, Rogue and Miracle. Kitty, what happened? Where's Erine?"  
Kitty tired out, gasping for breath. "Erine... Erine! Where is she? I, like, don't know what... where... What's going-" She turned onto her side and coughed more blood. "Ohhh... What's happening?"  
"Colleen's spirit visited Mystique's dreams from Hell and took her over... Mystique didn't provide a struggle, since Colleen had promised to give her Kurt. She also took Jean from her car- she had been missing since before dinner. Well, we're fighting for him... and you, Jean, and Erine," Mir explained.   
Kitty struggled to rise. "Kurt... Erine..."  
"Katherine Pryde GET BACK HERE!" Rogue dragged her down. "Stay here and don't move! We're handlin' things, Kitty. You stay here. Promise me!"  
"Rogue..."  
"Promise her, Kitty!"  
"Hey, I'm, like, the only person who can, like, defeat these things! They're robots, right? I just, like, totally phaze through them, and then I'm outta there!"  
"Kitty, you know you're in no shape to do that to so many. Don't worry, we're handling it!"  
"The last time, like, someone told me that, I later, like, found out, my cat was missing."  
"She... does have a point, Rogue."  
"Shut up! I... I'm not gonna try to defend myself anymore. Kitty, get down, and stay down, no matter what you think, no matter what happens. You are too weak to help out, and that's final. Got it?""  
Kitty pouted. "Fine... Erine! She... said something, before..." Kitty closed her eyes, welcoming the unconciousness. "Her name- Kathy..." Kitty's eyes suddenly flew wide open. "Katherine!"  
"You're worryin' about her NOW?" Rogue exclaimed.  
"No, I mean, yes- I, I mean... Erine IS Katherine! From what she's done around me, and what you guys have told me about her..."  
"What?"  
Cyclops's laser beams cut close to their corner, quickly cutting a deadly robot in half.  
"Hurry it up there, Miracle! Rogue!" Cyclops called out.  
"Aww, shut your trap and open your eyes, we're busy, we'll be there in a few seconds!" Rogue shouted at him.  
Kitty laughed, but it soon turned into a raw coughing bit.  
"Kitty?" Suddenly Erine appeared right by her side, beaten and sore. Mystique/Colleen had locked her up as well. Her eyes brimmed with tears.  
"Erine!"  
"Katze!" Nightcrawler called out. "Hurry up and get busy!"  
Katze shook her head. "Kitty... My sorry! My sorry! I should have to listen never to Minuit! My sorry! My sorry!" Katze started to bawl, cat cries mixing with the sobs. "My fault, it be my all fault! I you drag here... I bring bad people! I bring bad place! My sorry! My sorry... I want never things bad to happen-"  
"Katze, are you Katherine?"  
"Katherine be name Master give me... Bad people name Kathy, Min call Kathy... almost. I say Erine. People name Erine. Other human name be Katze."  
"So you're saying Min turned you into a person?" Mir asked.  
"Yes. I want to become friend to Master. Kitty!" Katze howled in sorrow.  
"This wasn't your fault, Katherine," Kitty said weakly.  
Suddenly, all the robots stopped attacking. They dropped to the ground with a heap. Cautiously everyone stopped what they were doing.   
"The battle has just begun," said in a strange voice. Mystique popped out of thin air and into the middle of things.  
"She's possessed!" Everlast cried out. "Grandmother..."  
"That's Colleen to your mother... It's Colleen to you as well!" Mystique/Colleen grabbed Everlast by the arm.   
"Hey, you let her go!" Miracle yelled and stormed over to them as Everlast cried out in alarm. Mystique/Colleen laughed.  
"There's no way you two can harm me without the help of your friends... and I don't think you have all the support there, either." Mystique/Colleen threw Everlast to the floor and walked over to Nightcrawler.  
"Well, Kurt? What is your answer to my question?" Mystique asked in her normal voice. 


	7. Losses

Chapter Seven: Losses  
  
Nightcrawler gulped. "Ahh... Ah... I..."  
"Kurt? What is she talking about?" Kitty carefully sat up and looked at Nightcrawler.  
"Ahh...."  
"Kurt, answer me!" Mystique said.  
Nightcrawler's eyes narrowed. "My answer... You're asking for my answer? Vell, I'll tell you my answer- No. And yes."  
"What?"  
"Yes, I vould be sad. But not because I lost a mother. Because I vouldn't have, see. I vould have lost, by defenition, an enemy. Zat's ze no part. Ze yes part is because nobody deserves to die, not even you. Not even my enemies. Especially if..." Nightcrawler looked from Mystique to Miracle and Everlast, "... if I vas ze one who killed you," he finished in a small voice.  
Mystique was silent for a while. Then she placed her hands on his shoulders.  
"Kurt..." Mystique closed her eyes. "Do you want me killed?"  
Nightcrawler shook his head no. "Oh... no! No, I don't," he then said, realizing that she couldn't see him.  
"He doesn't want me killed..." Mystique said. Her eyes flared open. "So get OUT!"  
The building shook, and the ceiling began to break apart. Mystique fell to the floor in an unconcious heap.  
"Mother!" Nightcrawler cried out, just as a big piece of rock fell on him.  
"Kurt!" Kitty yelled. She coughed, spitting up more blood.  
"This place is turning into a disaster area," Mir said. "Get out of here- I'll take care of the rest!" By then the robots had come back to life- this time with a new power. Violet purple balls of energy flew throughout the room, destroying everything in their paths.  
"But Mir-" Everlast started.  
"Go! I'll catch up later!"  
"Miracle!" Everlast said in a warning tone.  
"Look, I don't want your death to be on my concience, got it!" Everlast looked into her sister's eyes and nodded sadly.  
"Come on, Everlast!" Cyclops shouted, Jean in his arms. Wolverine was carrying Nightcrawler, and Storm held Kitty gingerly.  
With one last look at her sister, Everlast ran to the others across the room.  
"Any of you ever seen a miracle?" Miracle yelled as she faced the robots. She powered up her witchcraft powers and held out her arms.  
"Stop! Stop for me!" Katze followed Everlast, pouncing from one rock to another. She landed on Mystique's rock and tipped it over.  
"Eeeek!" Katze screamed, knocking into Mir. They fell over with a crash.  
"Mir!" Everlast screamed, when she turned back once more. "Miracle!"   
"Woah, hold it. She's coming, Ev. She'll get here," Spyke said, holding her back with one arm. Rogue helped him.  
"No! No, she's down! I saw her! Her and Katze! They're down! We have to go save them!" Everlast struggled in their hold, but it was no use. "Let me go!"  
A pile of rocks crashed down in front of them, blocking their way back. And blocking Mir and Katze's way forward.  
"Miracle!" Everlast yelled shrillfully.  
Spyke and Rogue finally managed to drag Everlast to the waiting Blackbird.  
"Wait! We can't leave them!" Everlast cried out as the door shut.  
"We're trying, we're trying! Hold your horses, bub," Wolverine shouted as he dumped Nightcrawler in a chair and jumped into the pilot's seat.  
"Calm down, Everlast." Rogue said. "If anyone could make it-"  
The Blackbird got knocked to the side by more rocks.  
"We can't just sit here!" Everlast exclaimed. "Save them! Save my sister!"  
"Hey, can't you summon them?" Rogue asked. "Like your mom did with Min and Katherine... or, tried to?"  
"Are you CrAzY?"  
"... Guess so."  
"Everlast," Storm said. "It... was a lost cause. There's no way..."  
Everlast turned to Storm with a frightening look. "Find a way," she said with a calm, yet evil eerieness that seemed unnatural.  
"Everlast... I, like, totally believe they'll make it. They'd better, or... ah... aHH... aCHOO!" Kitty sneezed, almost phazing through the control panel.  
"Watch it, Half Pint!" Wolverine grabbed her arm and pulled her away. "You do NOT want to short-circut this thing!"  
The plane lifted in the air shakily, with rocks coming down on all sides. Suddenly, they all heard an explosion, and the Blackbird rocked and swayed in midair. The lights flickered, then remained on.  
"Miracle!" Everlast screamed with all her power, then collasped from exhaustion.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
It was one day before Halloween, and no one was in the haunting spirit. The sky was black with clouds, putting everyone in a miserable and touchy mood. They all had waited and waited for any sign at all, for hope or more, but none came. Mara stared at the temporary monument before her in the snow-filled grassy area in the middle of the driveway, dumbfounded. Something bothered her... something was missing. All this... the temporary memorial would be replaced by a permament one, when the Prof called the right people and such. But for now, this would have to do. Covered by an overhang, the memorial had tons of flowers and personal items surrounding several pictures of Mir and Katherine, even though she had died in her human form.   
*What a weird word to associate with them... Died...* Mara thought. Never before had any of the X-Men team... died! Mara couldn't believe it. Her mother was beyond grief. They all were pretty much in a state of shock. No one wanted to talk about it.   
"Mir..." Mara whispered. "It's almost Halloween. The day for us to celebrate our... gifts. Remember, Mom said we could have any wish come true. My wish... is for you and Erine to be alive and well again, to be here with us. To have a second chance. Please..." Suddenly she looked up as a thought came to her.   
"I know something that will make this complete," she whispered. She turned around and ran into the Institute.  
Rogue, who had been standing behind a nearby tree, watched her go. The sky cracked with lightning, and thunder rolled. Cold, heavy rain began to drizzle, then pour down in heavy sheets.  
"Shut up, Storm..." Rogue muttered, and made her way to the memorial to stand under the overhang.  
Rogue stared at the temporary monument with a blank expression on her face.  
"I've... nevah talked to a... monument before... If you don't count that statue in Central Square back when I was five." Rogue blushed, the rain falling down in a rush behind her.  
"I feel responsible for takin' care of Amarantha since... you left... Miracle. I nevah really understood, I've nevah had a younga sibling of mah own. I nevah noticed how much she needed it." Rogue paused. "She's so innocent of the ways of the world. But you were always there, Mir, protectin' her. Makin' sure she was all right. You two had somethin' special, I see that now. But now you're not there, Mir. Now she ain't got no one to protect her... That is, if I don't step in. That weight of responsibility has been passed to me. But I could nevah take your place, Mir. Nevah. You know me, I'd probably bring her down instead, or screw up... screw HER up, somehow. So, if you could please..."   
Rogue mentally slapped herself. What was she thinking? She shook her head and continued.  
"Mir, you had a lot to deal with, teachin' Mara and all. As I said before... I feel responsible for takin' care of her since you left. That burden has-"  
Rogue was cut off by a crash. She whirled around to face Mara, ashen and soaking wet. Broken flowers, shards of glass, and a gold object fell from Mara's hands.  
"Amarantha!"  
"A... a burden? I thought- I was... a friend." With that statement, shock evident on her face, in her words... With that said, Mara turned and ran, tears merging with the cold, wet rain.  
"Mara! Wait!" Rogue started after her, almost stepping on the flowers and glass.  
*Wait, Rogue,* the Professor thought to her, halting her in her tracks.  
"What? Hey-"  
*Rogue, let Mara go. She'll eventually come around. It's best if she could spend some time to herself. Do not go after her, please, Rogue. For now, let her have some time alone. She's been through alot lately... All of us have.*   
"Are ya sure?"  
*Trust me, Rogue. Do no pursue her.*  
"Okay, Professor..." When Rogue was sure the Professor had left, she turned to the monument in despair.  
"Adults," she complained, her thick Southern accent clear in her voice. Nearby, on the ground, a glisten caught her eye. She picked it up and held it in the palm of her hand.  
It was the heart locket Mir had given Mara last Christmas. The one that had all their pictures in it, and the words inscribed inside, "Home is where the heart is."   
"I'm dead!" Rogue moaned. She then turned to look at the monument and cry. 


	8. Gains

Chapter Eight: Gains  
  
*Amarantha... Amarantha Owen... Mara....*  
"Mir? Mir, where are you? Mir, come back!" Mara pushed forward, not noticing the scenery passing by. "Mir!" she cried out.   
*Mara... I'm right here.*  
"Mir! Come back to me!"  
"Mara?"  
Mara stopped. Everything around her turned black, but Mir appeared before her.  
"Miracle!" Mara hugged her sister in joy and grief.  
"Mara? What's wrong?"  
"What's wrong? What's WRONG! You DIED! THAT'S what's wrong!"  
"But, Mara.... I didn't die."  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Mara woke up with a start. At first she didn't quite know what had happened, exactly. It was too early- it was still dark outside, and the clock said 3:00 am. She was startled to find that she was crying. Then everything came back to her, and she turned over and sobbed into her pillow. Must she be cursed with these nightmares? She then felt someone stroking her hair, comforting her. *Mom,* she thought.   
"Shhh... Don't cry, don't cry. Everything's okay... Everything's alright... Shh, don't cry... Mara."  
Wait a minute...  
"Amarantha be kah? No?"  
Mara gasped and sat up with a start.  
"MIRACLE?! ERINE?!"  
Suddenly, as Mir held onto Mara and Erine, their surroundings changed. They all looked around, confused.  
"What's going on?"  
"Where are we? How'd we get here?"  
"Eh?" Erine looked around with green eyes. "Oh! We be in home!"  
"... I repeat, where are we?!"  
"We be in home! With Professor and Ms. Ororo, Mr. Logan, and Rogue, and Kurt, and Jean and Scott and Evan..."  
"We're at the Institute?"  
"Hey, we ARE in the common room!" Mir looked around. She could barely recognize the old beat up couch in front of her, it was that dark. "I thought I'd never see this stuff again."  
"Mir!" Mara started to cry all over again and hugged Mir to death.   
"Amarantha be kah?" Erine asked, concerned. Mara then grabbed her and enveloped her in a death hug as well.   
"Oh you guys, I KNEW I'd never see you again, I totally flipped out and freaked, I was so devastated, and so is Mom, and Jean and Kurt got hurt real bad, and Kitty's flu got worse, and she's devastated too, 'cause you're Katherine, Erine, and no one will talk anymore and no one knows what happened to Mystique, OR Colleen, and we're all just so sad and shocked and no one has ever died like this before-"  
"Mara! Shh, calm down!"  
"Amarantha be no kah." Erine answered her own question. Mara tore away from her and looked at Mir.  
"Mir, you're here! It came true, my wish! I wished for you guys to be alive again..." Mara's sobbing slowly receded.  
"Mara... stop! You know what happens when you cry!" Mir sniffled, stifling the sobs escaping her throat. Mara laughed through her tears.  
"Well, that erases the thought that just came to me. Now I know it's really you, and not some sick joke or ploy by Mystique."  
"Mystique... She be go?"  
"I gaurentee you, she found a way to live through that explosion. But I don't think she'll bother us for a while. And hopefully, Colleen is gone, since Mystique chose to banish her," Mir said. She looked around once more. "Sheesh, it's dark in here."  
"I give light?" Erine offered.  
"Nah, better not wake anyone up, if we haven't already. We've done too much as it is," Mara said, as she fixed a lamp that lay on it's side and hiccuped loudly.   
Mir came over to her and gently placed her hands on her sister's face, soaking up the tears. "Amarantha, listen to me. We never died. I think we would know."  
Mara laughed. Mir removed her hands.  
"We heard you scream...You saw us get knocked to the ground, I know, but do you think we would stay there like that?"  
Mara blinked. "Yes. No! I mean..."  
Mir smirked. "Gee, thanks. I didn't realize you thought we were THAT stupid! Anyway, since those little purple energy ball thingies started to crash into each other after you guys left, I had to take some form of action, before the place blew. Ya know how Mom always pops out of nowhere? And how Kurt 'ports to every single place imaginable, including the girls' bathrooms?"  
"Yes..." Mara said cautiously. She rolled her eyes. "I remember that ALL too well, thank you!" Then, "Oh, Miracle!" she scolded.  
"What? Would you have liked us to stay there and simply await our untimely death?"  
"Well, of course not!"  
"Anyway, of course I'm not as... experienced, as Mom is..."  
Mara sighed. "Where'd you end up?"  
"Miracle say, it to be Arabia!" Erine piped up.  
"Arabia!"  
"Wasn't my fault!" Mir defended.  
"Sure..."  
"It wasn't!"  
"Uh huh. How'd you get back?"  
"We fly airplane!" Erine grinned.  
"What!"  
"We didn't FLY the plane! We just..." Mir finished with a rush. "... hid in one of the cargo holds. In one of the crates." She sighed. "I'll never eat another sugared date as long as I live," she vowed.  
"Serves you right, stowaway!"  
"Eh?"  
Mir sighed. "Nevermind, Erine."  
"Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed. "People funny no see yet."  
Mara blinked. "She's right. It is kind of funny that we haven't seen anyone yet. We for sure must have woken everyone up by now."  
*You cannot see them...* Erine thought with a grin. *But they can see you!*  
"Why hasn't anyone come?" Mir asked.  
*Because.*  
The thought echoed in their heads. Suddenly the lights came on, blinding Mir, Mara, and Erine tensed up as her eyes changed from green to blue.   
"We're already here," the Professor said.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"So, you guys heard the whole thing, huh?" Mir looked around, as Erine relaxed.   
Everyone nodded.   
They all were there. Jean was sitting in a chair. There was a giant cut on her forehead from where the glass had hit her, and there were lots of bruises on her arms. Scott stood behind her chair protectively. Rogue stod next to him, her arms crossed across her chest in a rebellious attitude.  
Logan's arms were crossed over his chest as well, but he had a pissed off expression on his face... as usual. Evan stood in between his aunt and Logan, surprised. Ororo was next to Professor X, an unreadable expression on her face. The Prof looked mad.  
Kurt was sitting down as well. His injuries prevented him from standing too long in one spot, or any strenuous activity (Logan was torn between very thankful and pissed off- no 'porting to the dining hall chandelier for a long time! But no training for a while, either. Darn, he'd have to watch with Evan). Even though he had been bruised all over, he obviously wasn't hurt enough to keep Kitty off his lap. From Kitty's expression, the two had been doing something they shouldn't have been doing. The Prof warned everyone to leave them alone, though. They had other things to focus on besides teenagers making out in the dark.  
The Prof made his way to Mir, Mara, and Erine.  
"We've heard enough," he said in a stern tone. Then he grinned. "Welcome back, Miracle. Welcome home, Erine," he said kindly.  
The rest was obvious. Lots of hugging and laughing and crying and hysterics, etc.   
"How did you guys get here?" Jean asked.  
"Me," a strange voice said. Then Meos turned herself visible and lowered her cloak's hood. "Hello, girls," she said with tears in her eyes. "My wonderful daarlings, my beautiful little daughters..."  
Well, that did it. More hugging, more laughing, more crying, and more hysterics, more et cetera.  
"Mara... I hope you're still not mad at me..." Rogue approached Mara carefully.  
Mara just smiled.  
"I could never stay mad for long, Rogue. Everybody knows that."  
Rogue smiled a small smile. "Oh, and, you dropped this."  
Rogue took Mara's hand and put something inside.  
"Never lose it again, or Mir'll kill ya!"  
Curious, Mara opened her hand.  
Resting on her palm was her locket.  
Mara started to bawl, her sister there to comfort her, as well as Rogue.  
Meanwhile, Kitty noticed Erine standing off to the side, silently watching, for once without her usual grin.  
"Erine?" Kitty got up, with a puppy look from Kurt. She glared at him and made her way slowly over to her pet. Slowly, for she was still recouperating from her illness and... escapade, even though her coughing, sneezing, and other symptoms had reduced to a minimum.   
Erine looked up and smiled. "Yes, Kitty?"  
"I totally need to talk to you..." Kitty took her hands, glanced around, breathed a sigh of relief that no one was watching them, and pulled Erine over to the side.  
"What be it?" Erine asked, perplexed. (AN: *Blinks.* Perplexed? How did I get THAT word? Oh well. The voices in my head must have told me.)  
"Do you know what you're going to do now?" Kitty asked.  
Erine looked at her confusedly.  
"You have a choice, Erine. You either stay as a human... or turn back into a cat." Kitty tried hard to keep the emotions out of her voice.  
"Oh. I see." Erine said. "Which would you like for me to do, Kitty?" she asked.  
Kitty demurred. "No, no Erine, this is... your decision. What do *you* want to do?"  
Erine thought about it. "I be friend of Kitty as human... and pet of Kitty as cat. Both be good. I know not what to choose." She thought about it some more. "Wait, I bring trouble as human..."  
"But you also caused trouble as a cat." Kitty was quick to point out. "Remember, like, last Christmas?"  
Erine blushed. "Yes."  
Kitty gasped. "Wait, that wasn't your fault! Neither is this, all those times, it wasn't your fault!"  
"My sorry..."  
Kitty sighed. "Erine..."  
"My sorry!"  
"Erine."  
"My sorry!" Erine wailed.  
"Erine!"  
Erine sniffled.  
"Erine, stop it. It's your choice- your... decision," she said slowly. "Hey, talk about déjà vu! Ms. Meos had given Mir and Mara their choices just last year! Woah..." she said, amazed. "Now I know how she felt!"  
Erine smiled. "I give decision of them, too."  
"Eh? I, I mean, what? I, like... don't understand."  
"I do both."  
Kitty blinked rapidly. "You'll be... both?"  
"I be both Erine and Katherine at the same time."  
"How?"  
"I do this!" Erine removed her choker. Instantly, it turned into Katherine's collar, and Erine turned back into a cat. Her bell immdeiately slipped off from around her neck.  
"KATHERINE!" Kitty exclaimed excitedly. She was shocked to see that the cuts from the tree scratch had disappeared- maybe Min had something to do with that. She picked her cat up and squeezed her 'till she squirmed and meowed with complaint, all with a grin on her face.  
"Kitty? 'Be you kah?'" Mir asked with a smirk on her face.  
Kitty turned to the group. "Katherine!" she said, showing off her cat to them.  
"Yeah, that explains it," Logan said.  
"Careful, Kitty, don't excite yourself. You're not totally 100% better," Kurt warned.  
Kitty made a face. "Who are you supposed to be? Scott?" she asked.  
"Hey," Scott said. The others laughed.  
Katherine jumped out of her arms and played with her collar in her paws. Eventually she got it back on around her neck. Erine reappeared with a grin.  
"I be both human and cat!" She reached down and slipped her holograph bell around her neck.  
Kitty laughed. "So that means you're never to wear your collar ever again?"  
"No... that be only when I put on. Very hard, in cat form."  
"So, if I put it on, like, nothing happens?"  
Erine nodded. She then gasped and turned to Meos.  
"You no hurt Min, kah? You no mean to Min, just because she give to me human form! Right?"  
"Well..." Meos said. "I still do not know. She did do magic behind my back, Erine... without me knowing. She could have hurt you and herself as well. And obviously she did do something wrong... unless you planned to turn out catlike."  
"She mean no hurt!"  
"That is true, but still..."  
"Not her fault! We be friends, please!" Erine begged.  
*Hey, I thought begging belonged to the dogs, not cats,* Meos thought. *Oh, oh well,* she sighed to herself.  
"I have not had the chance to talk with her yet. The little furball has been avoiding me ever since we found you, Erine... which I don't think is accidental. But then, we did find you while talking to her, so it seems, she really had been looking out for you. I will not punish her... although it should not have been a secret!"  
"But, if tell, it be no a secret longer!"  
"Well, duh!" Kitty rolled her eyes. "And we wouldn't have been half as worried!"  
"Eh?"  
"We have been, like, worred sick about you in your cat form... and totally bummed about you being dead in your human form!"  
"Really?"  
"Duh!"  
Erine smiled. "Still, no punish Min?"  
Meos sighed. "Fine. I guess I understand your reasons for keeping it a secret..."  
"Why?" Kitty asked.  
Erine turned to her. "You might not me like, if you know."  
"Huh?"  
"You... treat different, if know. You me make go back, without chance to be friend."  
"I... I guess I would, like, make you turn back," Kitty said.  
"Are there any questions left?" Meos asked.  
"Are you still going to be part of the X-Men, Erine?" Professor X asked.   
Erine nodded. "When I be in human form... AND cat form! I promise! And no more danger, I bring, I hope!"  
Everyone smiled.  
"Welcome back, Light Bulb," Logan said.  
"Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed.  
"What are we going to do about schooling?" The Prof asked.  
"I suppose Ororo and I could teach her enough basics until she's ready to attend Bayville High," Meos suggested.  
"What about me?" Logan asked matter-of-factly. "What am I gonna teach her?"  
Meos blinked. Ororo coughed, trying to hide her giggles.  
"Umm... you can... uhh..."  
Logan smirked. "Nevermind, bub. I get the gist of it. Not like I wanted to teach anyway. I'll just work with her on her training."  
"Oh, before I forget, Miracle..." Meos wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders. "What's this about... Arabia?"  
Mir paled. "Uh-oh."  
Erine laughed. "Aaaiiiee!" 


	9. We're gonna PARTAY, we're gonna PARTAY, ...

Chapter Nine: We're gonna PARTAY, we're gonna PARTAY, we're gonna PARTAY!  
  
"I can't believe Mom let you have the party after all, Mir," Mara said as she put on a silver necklace, then smoothed her dress.  
"I don't even want to think about the REAL punishment... It told her, it wasn't my fault we ended up in Arabia!" Mir said nervously.  
"Oh, yeah, sure. Whose was it, Erine's?"  
"Ha ha. And also, ha... Hey, do I look okay?" she asked as she brushed her hair.  
Mara glanced at her sister. They had made special dressed for the spooky occasion- unfortunately, the same ones. So of course a battle had ensued, over who had to change and who got to keep their dress... Eventually their mother had to come and decide that Erine should wear it, being her first dress and all.   
So Mir had thought up another idea, and then Mara thought up hers.  
Mir's dress was basically black, with flying stars and wands. The tight sleeves were silver, as well as her stockings. Her boots reached above her ankle. Of course, her various jewelery shimmered brightly with the light... and sometimes, without it's aid. Mir had straightened her curls for the freakish holiday, so her blonde hair now reached a little past her shoulders.  
Mara grinned. "You look beautiful, Mir... How about me?"  
"Do my ears deceive me? Or did 'Ms. I-Don't-Care-What-My-Friends-Think' ask how she looked?"  
Mara blushed. "I can ask just this once! It's for the party!"  
Mir laughed. "You look wonderful, Mara."  
Mara smiled. "Thanks."  
Mara had on a dark purple dress, with a lace design of broomsticks and cauldrons over it. She also had elaborate jewelery and black boots like Mir, but her stockings were purple. Her usually straight brown hair had been tightly curled for the evening, now reaching a little past her shoulders.   
Mara giggled. "This feels so strange... We're throwing a party, but it's at the Institute."  
Mir shrugged. "I try not to think about it. Hey, where's Mom?"  
"Right here, girls."  
The girls turned to find their mother in a classy, long plaited black gown, with only one pattern was embroidered on the chest- her sign. The sleeves were long and jagged, as well as the hem. For once, she was wearing dainty high heeled shoes instead of the usual sneakers or sandals. Moon and star earrings gently hung from her ears, and a silver nylon scarf wrapped gracefully around her neck and draped over one shoulder.   
Mouths dropped.  
"What? Something wrong? Do I look alright?"  
"You're GOING?!" Mir exclaimed.  
Meos blinked, taken aback. "Oh... I'm sorry, girls. I guess, I wouldn't want my mother at a party I was hosting as well... I'm sorry, sweethearts, go on, have a good time. I won't wait up."  
Mir and Mara looked at each other as their mother solemnly turned to leave the room.  
"Wait! Mom..."  
Meos paused and turned to face her daughters sadly.  
"... We never said you couldn't go!" Mara cried out. Mir gave her a nondescript look, but she just glared in return.  
Meos smiled kindly. "Don't worry, Mara. I'll be fine."  
"Oh come on, Mom, it'll be fun! All the Meoskites, celebrating All Hallow's Eve as they should..."  
"... together," Miracle finished the sentence.  
Meos looked doubtful. "You sure you girls won't be embarrassed that I'm going to your party?"  
"Not as long as you say you're a chaperone!"  
"Come on, Mom... Please?"  
Meos couldn't help but chuckle. "This should go down in the record books... The first teenagers to actually want AND ask their mother to go to their own party."  
Mir rolled her eyes.  
Amarantha jumped up and down excitedly. "Can we go now?"  
Meos laughed, while Mir rolled her eyes.   
"Of course, 'Rantha." Meos smiled. "And I know the perfect way to get us there."  
"Uh-oh," Mir said nervously.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Like, oh my gawd! My hair is, like, so totally bad! I look like a witch!" Kitty complained, her hair all frizzled. Her dress was blood red, with black sequins, and EXTREMELY low cut.  
"Hey!"  
"Yeah, we take that offensively!"  
Kitty whirled around to face Mir, Mara, and Meos fly in through the open window on broomsticks.  
The girls landed and dismounted.  
"Ahh... the perfect flying weather. Not too dark out, yet not too light either. And no... obstacles," Meos said with a grin, then banished her broom with a wave of a hand.Miracle and Amarantha did the same, after many tries, then burst into giggles.  
"Oh my GAWD Mom that was so fun! I wanna do it again! I wanna do it again! I wanna do it again!" Mir exclaimed.Mara jumped up and down excitedly. "That was so cool!"  
Kitty stared at them.  
"You guys FLEW... here... on broomsticks. On HALLOWEEN NIGHT?!"  
Mara giggled further. "Yeah... isn't it cool?"  
Kitty blinked.  
"I believe I should go downstairs and help set up the decorations," Meos said, and casually disappeared.  
Kitty shivered. "I totally get the creeps when you guys, like, do that."  
Mir shrugged. "That's what you get for-"  
"-having witches for friends. I know, I know."  
"Apparently not enough."  
"Hey!"  
"Oh, and, Kitty? Allow me."  
Mir pointed one finger at Kitty, and with a !POOF! and lots of sparkly stuff, Kitty's hair was instantly straightened, with one spider barrette on each side near her ear.  
Kitty took a sharp breath. "Thanks!"  
"NOW will you complain anymore?"  
"Like, totally no way!"  
"Merci," Mir grinned. "Hey, where's Rogue?"  
"Oh, she's in the bathroom, 'putting on make-up,' quote unquote. I, like, totally think she doesn't need to do anything, like, special... she could just, like, put on the stuff she wears, like, every day!"  
All of a sudden the door slammed open, and Rogue burst into the room. She ignored Mir and Mara and stormed over to Kitty.  
"I heard that, Half Pint! If you got a problem with the way I dress, tell it to mah face! And another thing-"  
"I totally don't need to hear it, Rogue. And, like, get outta my face!"  
"Why should I?"  
"Because I said so!"  
"Why should I listen to you?"  
"Because I, like, totally have the best looks."  
"Why you little-!"  
Suddenly Rogue was frozen in place, with her hands reaching for Kitty's neck.  
"Guys, I really shouldn't have to do this anymore..." Mara said, annoyed. "I mean, you two are nice, civilized people..." Mara let go of the second.  
"I think," Mir said. She dodged several deathglares.  
Then a knock sounded at the door. "Are you girls ready yet?" came Evan's exasperated tone.  
"We're coming! Don't worry, we didn't, like, die..."  
"One of us almost did," Rogue muttered to herself. Kitty just ignored her.  
"Uhh... heheh... Hey Rogue! Nice dress!"  
"Was that sarcasm?"  
"No way! I love it, really!" Mara smiled.  
Rogue glanced down at herself. She was wearing a long black dress, with sleeves that ended with gloves. A long red overcoat was tied together in the front by gold lace. She had glitter running in streaks in her hair, and skull earrings.  
"Hey, where's Erine? And Jean?"  
"Jean's off somewhere getting dressed by herself. And Erine..."  
"Does she like the dress?"  
"Did she get lost again?"  
"ARE YOU GUYS ROTTING AVAY IN ZERE OR VHAT?"  
"Aww, go bite your tail. We'll be out in two seconds!'  
"One..."  
"DON'T get smart with me, Elf."  
"Yeah, like, one of us almost DIED today..."  
"Doesn't zat happen every day?"  
"... and I don't, like, want the next 'victim' to be you, Kurt."  
"Awwww! That's so cute!" Mara cooed.  
"I don't vant it to be YOU either, Katzchen. Zat's vhy I'm vorrying here. You. Rogue. Same room. Don't mix!"  
Kitty opened the door. "There... Like, happy?"  
Kurt, dressed as Dracula, grabbed Kitty into his arms and gave her a big kiss.  
"Ja."  
Kitty sighed happily, huge hearts in her eyes. "Okay then..." she breathed.  
Mara grinned happily. "This is so cute!" she couldn't help but exclaim.  
Rogue glared at her and brushed harshly past the dynamic couple, who didn't notice at all.  
"Yeah yeah, enough mush and fluff and all that goody goody stuff..." Mir pushed Kitty and Kurt into the hallway.  
"Hey! I was watching that!" Mara cried out, as she followed her sister out the door.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
Not long after, the group had met at the base of the staircase in the main hallway. Only Jean and Erine were missing, besides the four teachers.  
"Where is Erine?" Evan asked, annoyed. He glanced at his watch and tapped his foot impatiently. "Come on, almost all of us are here, man."  
"Calm down, Evan. She'll, like, be here soon," Kitty said. "We made sure of it," she smiled slyly.  
"Yeah, we all helped. Jean's just puttin' on the finishin' touches," Rogue said.  
"*You* helped, Rogue?"  
"Watch it, unless you want your fangs to be extracted from your stomache, Elf."  
Kurt laughed nervously.  
"Ahem!" Jean stood at the top of the stairs in a droopy, yet tight, dark navy dress.  
"Wow!" Scott said.   
"Oh, like, come on Jean. What kind of Halloween dress is that?" Kitty asked, her hands on her hips.  
Jean blinked. "I'm a drowning victim," she said monotonely.  
"Really? Oh, you should, like, wet your hair, and like, make your make-up all, like, runny and stuff, and, like, umm... stuff like that."  
"I'll think about it," Jean smiled. "Anyway, ladies and gentlemen... and Kurt."  
"Hey!"  
"I introduce to you, Miss Erine Calbby."  
"Woo hoo!"  
"Yay!"  
"Clap... Clap.. Clap..."  
"Evan!"  
"Well, we didn't see her yet, man!"  
Jean laughed and ran down the steps. She turned to face the empty staircase. She frowned.  
"Erine! You can come out now!"  
"You sure, Jean? I not know this be right..." came Erine's high pitched voice from the hallway.  
"Yes, I'm sure."  
"We're all sure!" Kitty said. "Come on, let us take a look at you!"  
Erine popped her head into view. Long orange, black, and white ribbons were tied in her hair randomly. She actually had make-up on as well.  
"Come on..." Kitty urged.  
Erine cautiously stepped into view, her hands clasped together in front of her. Lots of silver chains adorned her neck, including her bell, and silver bracelets jangled at her wrists. Black cat earrings dangled from her ears, and large silver stoned rings were on each finger, adding dramatic effect to her claws.  
The neckline of the dress was low, but the hemline nearly reached the floor. The dress was black, with cutouts of moons, stars, and tiny dots, revealing orange material underneath. The sleeves were orange netting material, but loose enough not to cut into her skin. Orange fishnet stockings led into black high heels. Erine's tail swished behind her.  
"Girls say, I be pretty. True sent-ence? I be pretty?"  
Evan gasped. "Understatement of the year, man."  
Kitty turned to face Evan, shocked. "You got a thing for my cat! You, like, sicko! You perv! That's, like, icksome!"  
"Well, uhh..." Evan stuttered. "You got a thing for.. uhh... my moo juice!"  
Nobody said a word. Scott coughed. Kitty made a face. Everyone else just stared at Evan.  
Erine looked at the group, confused. "I no get." 


	10. The LAST chapter, I swear!

Chapter Ten : The LAST chapter, I swear!  
  
"So, does this mean that every animal gone human, you're gonna crush on?"  
"Shut. Up, Rogue."  
The group was partying to cool music (what else?) and several tricks and treats. Duh.  
Rogue laughed. "Aww, poor Evan, he has a crush on a cat. What's the matter? Can't find anyone human to go on a date with ya?"  
"Shut. Up, Rogue. I mean it!" Evan crushed his punch cup angrily. Suddenly Meos, who had been politely talking to Ororo, perked her head up and looked at the door. She looked back at Ororo and said something, who nodded as Meos left the room.  
All of a sudden, as the song that had been playing ended, all the mutants, and witches, heard a loud, shrill scream.  
"Meos?" Ororo wondered.  
Everyone looked at each other, confused. Then they all rushed out of the room to the main hallway.  
Meos stood at the open door, her back to the group.   
"Ms. Meos? Are you, like, okay?" Kitty asked.  
Meos turned to face the group, a smirk on her face.  
"Like the new doorbell?"  
"What!" The group groaned.  
"You mean, that wasn't, like, you screaming?"  
Meos just smiled and stepped aside.  
There stood a woman with curly, shoulder length, midnight blue hair. She was just like Erine- cat tail, cat ears, whiskers, the works. Her plaited navy skirt reached her knees, and her white silk shirt was neatly tucked in.   
"Hi," she said. "I'm Min."  
"It appears that my familiar has given herself the spell that she gave to Katherine." Meos glared at Min. "What is the meaning of this?"  
"I came to the party. Just this once. Toby didn't want to come, though. Too much trouble." She shrugged. "Party pooper." Then she noticed Meos's glare. "What, was it invitation only?"  
"Umm... No..." Mara said. "Min? Is it really you?"  
"Yes, it's me, Mara." Min smiled. "Hi Erine!"  
Erine approached Min cautiously and grinned. "Minuit! You be here! As person!"  
Min laughed. "Well, not totally here. I'm still outside..."  
Meos gestured that she should come in. Immediately Erine and Min exchanged hugs.  
"You be here as human! Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed.  
"Can we go back to partyin' now?" Evan asked.  
"Sure, sure, by all means. I'm not stopping you," Min said.  
Eventually the group went back to the party area. Evan couldn't help but notice Kurt and Kitty exchanging presents. He had an idea and slipped away, only to return with a package in hand.  
"Hey Kitty! Trick or Treat!"  
"Will it matter which one I choose?" Kitty looked at Evan questioningly.  
"Open it!"  
Kitty accepted the package cautiously. She opened it to find a half pint of milk (no pun intended... or, maybe not).  
Evan laughed at the look on Kitty's face. Then she smiled sweetly and opened the container.  
"Trick or Treat, Evan!" she said sweetly. Kitty then dumped the whole thing on Evan's head and walked away. Kurt bowled over laughing. Evan stopped laughing and just stood there.  
"Ohh man..." He went upstairs to change.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
At last fall turned into blessed winter. To mark the occasion, Evan got his cast removed- with the promise to be more careful on his skateboard. Soon winter slowly began to fade away, letting spring days warmed the air. The snow gave way to new green leaves and grass. As each day passed, the more Erine learned. She gradually learned to speak English correctly, and to count beyond ten. Then summer days appeared. By then, Erine had learned enough to be in the same classes as Kitty and Rogue. Scott and Jean were enrolled in college already- and wedding plans were at last in session. Kitty was estatic... she loved these things. So therefore they weren't around much anymore- the Institute tenants now consisted of Erine, Kitty, Kurt, Rogue, Evan, and the teachers. (Occasionaly Scott and Jean visited.) But the summer had already begun, so Erine had to wait to go to school. At last, autumn touched the air, turning it cool and crisp. The leaves were beginning to change colors at last, and the school year was approaching with each second.  
All this was on Erine's mind as she raced down the outside training track, with Kurt, Rogue, and Kitty right behind her. (AN: Remember that track Wolverine and Cyclops raced on when Spyke had the video camera? It's still there, apparently.)   
"Nuh uh- Not zis time!" Nightcrawler yelled as he passed Katze, dodging at spiked ball in the process.   
"Wait and see, Fuzzy Elf!" Katze pulled ahead once more.  
At last they reached the finish line, with everyone giving it all they got.   
"Yes!" Erine laughed and shouted triumphantly as she suddenly stopped. Her momentum carried her and she fell to the floor. She sat up and laughed at the others, who collasped beside her, all bent out of shape.  
"No fair!" Shadowcat whined as she finished last, panting and out of breath.  
"What do you mean... 'No fair?'" Rogue asked sarcastically.  
"That's, like, the ten thousandth time that Katze beat us! Well, except for that one time where Nightcrawler cheated and 'ported to the finish line..."  
Nightcrawler put on an innocent expression.  
"Hey, you mean, that's the ten thousandth time you came in last," Katze said with her usual grin. Yes, that was her. Yes, she could speak perfect English. Yes, her voice was still the same. (Meos had offered to fix what Min had messed up on, ie. the ears, the tail, etc, but Erine wanted to stay the same. Plus, she loved her bell.) She, despite winnning, was perfectly fine, and wasn't out of breath at all.   
"Hey, like, last time, Rogue came in last, not me!" Shadowcat glared.   
"Ahh, you hush up," Rogue said. "That's just because I tripped over Nightcrawler's tail!"  
"Not my fault!" Nigthcralwer defended himself.   
"Hey guys!" Evan called out from across the yard. "Time to come in, if you want a break!" He shook his head to himself. He didn't understand why they chose that specific training area all the time. In his opinion, they could keep it, for all he cared. He had bad memories associated with that track.  
"A break?" Rogue said. "Those might be the most wonderful words I've ever heard."  
Katze helped her up as Shadowcat held onto Nightcrawler.  
"Who vants a free ride?" he called out.  
"Me me me me me! I do, I do, I do!" Katze jumped up and down, grinning.  
"I think Light Bulb over here wants one... just a guess," Rogue rolled her eyes.  
"Aaaiiiee!" Katze laughed as she, Kitty, and Rogue held on. Nightcrawler then BAMFed out of sight.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Can I go to school now?" Erine asked excitedly. It was later on in the day, and she and Rogue were relaxing in the common room.  
"Calm down, Er," Rogue said with a laugh. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow's the first day of school."  
Evan groaned as he entered the room with Kurt. "Don't remind me!"  
Erine grinned. "What?"  
Kurt rolled his eyes. "Here ve go again..." he muttered.  
"What do you mean, 'what?'" Rogue said with attitude. "We have to get homework and book reports and science projects..."  
"Aaaiiiee!" Erine laughed with excitement. "That's what's so exciting about it!"  
"Crazy Light Bulb..." Rogue muttered to herself.   
"Hey! I heard that!" Erine laughed again.  
"Rogue?" Kitty called out from the hallway.   
"What?" Rogue snapped as Kitty entered the room.  
"Can I borrow your black jacket tomorrow?" she asked, posing for her friend. The jacket had... SOMEHOW.... found it's way on her body already. (Gee... I wonderhow it got THERE?!)  
Rogue's face twisted with rage. "No...."  
"Please? It totally fits, I swear..."  
"No!..." Rogue lept up from her seat, her face blazen with anger. Kitty let out a small cry, then ran from the room, Rogue right behind her.  
"Get back here Half Pint!" Evan, Kurt, and Erine could hear her shout out, then fade away as she continued to pursue Kitty down the hall with a yell.  
"Eeeesh... I think, I might just skate around for a while, catch you guys later." Evan waved his skateboard in Kurt and Erine's direction as he walked out of the room.  
Kurt smirked at Erine, who tried to cover her giggles, to no avail. Kurt sighed and close his eyes, his hands behind his head, and leaned against the back of the couch. He opened one eye to peer at Erine, who by now was laughing hysterically. Then Kurt couldn't help it but snicker to himself.  
"You're not going to do anything? Like... stop them or something like that?" Erine managed to ask.  
"Vhy? Zey're going to kill each other one day anyvay- vhy can't it be now?" Kurt asked with a smirk on his face. "I mean, if I get in between zem, I vould get myself killed as vell, vhich vould be a very, very bad zing, eh? No one left to annoy Logan, or to accidentally 'port into ze girls' bathroom at ze most inconvinient of times! Plus, zere vould be no more Blue Fuzzy Elf!"  
Erine erupted into giggles all over again.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
"Katherine! Katherine, where are you?" Kitty phazed out of her closet the next morning, frantically seaching. "Katherine! It's, like, almost time for school!" *Wow, I, like, totally never thought I'd ever say that!* she thought. "Katherine!" she called. "Come on, we're totally gonna be late! You, like, better not be lost again!"  
Katherine meowed. Kitty looked at her feet, where Katherine rubbed against her and purred loudly.  
"There you are! Come on, change back! You need to get ready!" Kitty tapped her foot impatiently.  
Katherine managed to wriggle out of her collar and instantly turned into Erine.   
"Hello Kitty!" Erine grinned.  
"Oh, please, not that." Kitty rolled her eyes. ""You have no idea how much I get that from, like, SO many people! It's SO old, it's TOTALLY not funny!"  
Erine laughed. "Aaaiiiee!"  
"Come on, Er. We're gonna be late! Enough foolin' around." Rogue popped her head into the room, and narrowed her eyes as she saw Kitty, who had the black jacket on already.  
"WHAT are you doin'? Didn't I tell you that you couldn't wear that shirt today? And, nevah?" she walked into the room.  
"Oops." Kitty laughed nervously.  
"What? You think I wouldn't find out?" Rogue asked, furious.  
"No! I just... thought you'd find out, like, a little later... like, at dinner?"  
"We have THREE CLASSES together! And that ain't includin' lunch and the time in between classes! OUR LOCKERS ARE PRATICALLY NEXT TO EACH OTHER!"  
"Ehh... heh heh!"  
"Oh no... I'm dreadin' the year already. And the bell ain't even rung yet!"  
Erine laughed again. "That's, 'hasn't even' rung yet."  
"Whatever," Rogue said crossly. She turned again to Kitty.  
"That's it, I'm gettin' your ruby necklace."  
"Hey! That was a gift from Kurt!"  
"Hey, you ARE wearin' mah shirt."  
"But it goes SO good with these pants! And the pants match the shoes, and the shoes match the cute little handbag that came with it, and the purse goes so totally with my-"  
"Head. 'Cause, guess what? It's EMPTY!" Rogue exclaimed, her arms crossed.  
"No it's not!" Kitty said defensively. "It has a pocket mirror in it, and mascara, and lipstick, and blush, and eyeliner, and-"  
"And, and..." Rogue mocked. "Sheesh, that's all I hear from you, superficial stuff; sometimes I can't stand it."  
"Sometimes?" Erine wondered to herself in a small voice.  
Kitty and Rogue turned to glare at her. Erine backed away nervously.  
"Now I understand why Kurt doesn't involve himself with these things," she said, and covered the top of her head with her hands and crouched low.  
"Did I hear someone mention my name?" Kurt asked, as he BAMFed into the room. "Woah..." He backed away from Kitty and Rogue's deathglare. "Wrong timing?"  
"Guys! Come on, we're gonna be busted if we don't leave right now! Where ARE you guys?" Evan shouted as he walked in. He blinked as Rogue and Kitty glared at him, and Erine flinched.  
"Ohhh..... kay."  
Kitty turned tail with an aggravated growl, and pushed Evan aside as she left the room, with her purse slung over her shoulder. Rogue held her head high and left a few seconds after. Evan rolled his eyes.  
"This is gonna be some day..." he said. "You comin', man?"  
"Ja... Be zere in a few seconds."  
Evan shrugged and left. Kurt glanced at Erine and gently touched her hands.  
"It's okay, Erine... Zey're gone."  
Erine breathed a sigh of relief and lifted her head to look around. "Thanks, Kurt!"  
"Hey, if you don't vant to be stared at like a freak, I suggest you turn on your bell," Kurt said, as he pushed the button on his watch. Instantly the holographic Kurt appeared. Erine smiled.  
"Thanks... I guess I kinda forgot."  
Erine turned on her bell, and immediately the human Erine blinked on. Erine grinned at Kurt.  
"I'm so excited!" she whispered. "My first day of school..."  
Kurt smiled. "Come on, Erine, ve'll take ze shortcut."  
"Shortcut?"  
Kurt held her hand and BAMFed.  
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX  
*Sender: XShadowKittyX (Kitty Pryde)  
Recipient: LionPryde (Mom and Dad)  
Subject: First day of new school year  
Date: 6:30:45 PM Eastern Time, Monday, August 29  
Contents:  
I totally do NOT know where to begin! Okay, at first, Rogue almost, like, killed me, just because I was wearing her jacket, even though I totally explained that I needed to wear it, because it matched my jeans, and my jeans totally matched my shoes, and thoseso matched my purse, and my purse matched the make-up that came with it... She is so hard to live with, that girl. Totally no sense of fashion.  
Anyway, first hour- math. Sooo boring. Mr. Ashmore talks in the same old boring tone of voice all the time, and he totally puts the class asleep. I'm so glad Kurt's in my class that hour. I would have died from boredom without him. Mir's in that class too, I'm so happy she and I get to sit next to each other. I recognize a few other people, like Todd and Lance... ewww.  
Second hour- science. Again, boring. Ms. Goldburg is totally old, and totally strict. She actually hits the desks with a meter stick ruler thingy or whatever to get our attention. I got stuck with Duncan Matthews as my partner for the year- Ugh! Can we say, like, "Totally-Stupid-Stuck-Up-Jock-Slash-Bully?" And he so doesn't let freshmen to his parties- remember how I complained about that last year? Well, no more! I can now get in "legally." WEll, Duncan's version of legal. Not the police. and Duncan's parties ARE legal! It's just that he doesn't allow freshmen, which is his rule... Oh, why am I bothering? Anyway, Erine's in that class, and so is Evan... no comment.  
Third hour- I totally can't believe I signed up for French. I only wanted to find out what Mir and Mara said to each other sometimes! I never knew it'd be so complicated... Even though Mademoiselle Etoille is really nice and all, I can't understand a word she says. Erine draws a blank too- oh yeah, she's in that class also- and I so know I'm totally going to fail. I know what you're thinking... "Why can't you just ask Mir or Mara to help you? They're coming along well with their studies..." Well yeah yeah I know I know, but I can't do that! It's complicated... Oh boy. Anyway, Mir and Mara are taking Japanese! I think they're totally gonna be busy enough!   
Fourth hour- DRAMA! Oh my GAAAAAAAWD Mr. Chouette... I mean, René is SOOOOOOOOOOO cute! He is totally cool, and SUCH a hottie! He has blond hair, and green eyes, and he's tall, and muscular, and... oh, I could just drool! And guess what... Mara and Erine are in that class too! I swear, the moment we saw René, our mouths dropped. Erine said something about a hot tomcat or something like that... Weird cat girl. Mara said something about adieu... No, my mistake, she said "Oh mon Dieu," French for "Oh my God." See, I'm totally learning! Anyway, I get to sit next to Mara, and we pass notes about how fine René is. She laughs because his name means "reborn cute" in French. Erine laughs because we get to call him Reborn instead of Mr. Cute. I laugh because his name fits him. He's funny, he doesn't talk to us like we're inferior to him, he's cool, he doesn't hand out tough assignments, absolutely no homework ALL year, and he's good looking... Oh the list is endless. I can tell, I am so totally going to have fun in that class! He is so HOT I feel like I'm gonna pass out. I made Mara and Erine swear they wouldn't tell Kurt! How come all these French guys are so damn cute?!   
Not to say that German guys aren't hunks either.  
Then lunch, and of course I sat with everyone. The usual stuff happened... Rogue almost killed me again, Kurt started a food fight with Evan, and Duncan Matthews hit on every girl in sight, including Erine.   
As if.  
Fifth hour- English. Mrs. Jolie is pretty cool- and most of the boys in the class leave out the "cool" part. I swear, half of the class has a major crush on her already. Kurt has her second hour... I think I'm going to have to keep tabs on him for a while, even though he totally denies any feelings for her. You know what I say to that? Hmph!   
You know how I hate book reports... and guess what? There has to be, like, 10,000 book reports due this year! Rogue and Erine are at my table, (Todd is across the room... Dare I say it? Eeeew! And Duncan is right in front of the teacher's desk, right where she can keep an eye on him- he got in trouble already.) and this new kid is too... I totally forgot his name. He's totally cute and all, but he can't speak English all too great... He's French or something like that, so he talks in third person all the time, with some sort of accent. Mir and Mara would know. He hasn't had much to say yet, but I DID catch him looking at Rogue throughout the whole class, so maybe I could play Cupid a little... Heeheehee.  
Sixth hour- history. I swear, Mr. Kreft has got to be gay. He did these really weird things with Skittles... now the candies are now evil and cursed. Rogue's in the same class, as well as Erine. I couldn't wait until the bell rang.   
Of course, Erine loved it all. The whole day. I just wish she could've experienced PE- let's see how she'd survive THAT! But then again, she beats all of us at training sims, so I think she would've passed with flying colors... or at least straight A's.   
I'm so glad we don't have PE anymore. Free!  
Anyway, besides the usual chaos that strikes with the first day of school, things are pretty normal. Mara gave me a cool little potion thingy to put in a bath, it's supposed to relax you and stuff. Well, just as I was pouring it into the tub, (and wondering if it was supposed to be green like that, and whether it would affect the bathtub at all,) Kurt 'ported in. I screamed and slipped into the water, and he, the cutie, turned away, mumbling something about being sorry and that he meant to 'port to the kitchen, I think he was blushing, and I managed to get up and wrap a towel around myself, and hit him in the back of the head with a bar of soap.   
I think we totally won't be able to, like, get the green out for, like, a long time.   
Anyway, that's totally the 411 for now. Erine can't wait until tomorrow. But I can. (I plan to borrow Rogue's chain link belt- it totally goes with my princess tank top, which so matches my black miniskirt, and it couldn't be complete without those cute lil' sandals I bought last Easter.)  
Love,  
Kitty  
PS: PLEASE, Daddy, don't run to the Institute screaming and ranting and yelling, and totally freaking out. Mom, please don't faint. It's okay, don't worry! Kurt said he didn't see anything. And we can trust him... can't we?* 


End file.
